Atlantic spadefish

Due to their reputation as strong fighters, they are popular game fish, especially during the summer months when they are most active.

Picture of the Atlantic spadefish has been licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike.
Original source: Originally posted to Flickr as Atlantic Spadefish Cl
Author: Matthew Hoelscher (original photograph), Kaldari (crop),

The Atlantic spadefish lives in the reef-associated, oceanodromous, brackish, marine, depth range 3 - 35 m environment.

The Atlantic spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber) is a species of marine fish endemic to the western Atlantic Ocean. They are commonly found in shallow waters off the coast of the southeastern United States and in the Caribbean. More

The Atlantic spadefish was originally described as Chaetodon faber by the French naturalist Pierre-Auguste-Marie Broussonet in 1782. This name was later changed to the currently valid Chaetodipturus faber (Broussonet, 1782). More

The Atlantic spadefish, Chaetodipterus faber, is silvery gray in color with vertical black bars. It is known and named for its characteristic spade-shaped body, which is compressed with a short snout. More

Atlantic spadefish are found schooling near coastal reefs, wrecks and pilings from New england to southern Brazil, including the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. More

The angel-like Atlantic spadefish is actually in the Ephippidae family which includes the batfishes and scats. These gregarious fish can often be observed in large schools of up to 500 individuals from Massachusetts to Southern Brazil. More

The Atlantic spadefish reaches a maximum total length of about 3 feet, and a maximum reported weight of about 19 pounds. The largest spadefish ever caught, according to the International Game Fish Association, was 14 pounds. The expected lifespan is 8-10 years. More

* Atlantic spadefish have a very diverse diet. They feed primarily on coral, anemones, worms, mollusks, crustaceans and plankton. More

Atlantic spadefish have a disk-shaped body that is almost as deep as it is long. That, combined with the nearly identical second dorsal fin and anal fin, gives the fish a spade-like profile. More

Reproducing the Atlantic Spadefish at the Tulsa Zoo = By: Stephen D. Walker Curator of Aquaria The Atlantic Spadefish Chaetodipterus faber is the only Caribbean representative of the batfish family Ephippidae. More

Atlantic spadefish may look like angelfish but you can tell them apart by counting the fins on their backs. If they have two dorsal fins, they're spadefish; if they have only one, they're angelfish. More

The Atlantic Spadefish or Chaetodipterus faber is a sporting fish that is found in the shallow waters of the western Atlantic Ocean. More

The Atlantic Spadefish is a flat, disc-shaped fish similar to angels, but not related. They feed on small crustaceans, invertebrates, and can even be seen nibbling on the tentacles of jellyfish! Schools of spadefish can be composed of hundreds of fish. More

Atlantic spadefish will congregate around a variety of environmental super-structures - including reef systems, sunken vessels and debris, and oil derricks. 4. For more information about bony fishes, explore the bony fishes info book. More

visitors, the graceful Atlantic spadefish, is warmly welcomed by eager Virginia anglers. More

Summary: The Atlantic Spadefish is a very distinctive looking fish that is usually very large and easy to identify. Learn to identify Atlantic Spadefish with tips from a Caribbean scuba instructor in this free tropical fish identification video. More

The Atlantic Spadefish is sometimes mistaken for an angelfish because of the shape of its fins. Spadefish and Angelfish are members of two separate fish families: Ephippidae and Pomacanthidae. More

Common names

Angelfish in English
Atlantic spade in English
Atlantic spadefish in English
Atlantisk spadefisk in Danish (dansk)
Butterfly fish in English
Cadtod in Wayuu
Carangue à slime in French (français)
chabela in Spanish (español)
Chiririca in Spanish (español)
Chirivita chiva in Spanish (español)
Disque portuguais in French (français)
Enxada in Portuguese (Português)
Isabelita in Spanish (español)
Jackass in English
Leather coat in English
Luna in Spanish (español)
Mochila in Spanish (español)
Mono in Spanish (español)
Mono colorao in Spanish (español)
Moonfish in English
Ocean cobbler in English
Paguala in Spanish (español)
Paguara in Spanish (español)
Palaguala in Spanish (español)
palometa in Spanish (español)
Paoua in English
Paoua in French (français)
Paru in Portuguese (Português)
Paru-branco in Portuguese (Português)
Paru-jandaia in Portuguese (Português)
Paru-preto in Portuguese (Português)
Parum in Portuguese (Português)
Parum-branco in Portuguese (Português)
Parum-enxada in Portuguese (Português)
Parum-rajado in Portuguese (Português)
Peixe-enxada in Portuguese (Português)
Pot cover in English
Sabaleta in Spanish (español)
Sea donkey in English
Shirogane-tsubameuo in Japanese (日本語)
spadefish in English
Spadfisk in Swedish (Svenska)
Spatenfisch in German (Deutsch)
Szpadelek karaibski in Polish (polski)
Tareira in Portuguese (Português)
Threebanded sheephead in English
Threetailed porgy in English
Tripletail in English
White angel in English
White angelfish in English
нетопырь атлантический in Russian (русский язык)
рыба-лопата американская in Russian (русский язык)
大西洋棘白鯧 in Mandarin Chinese
大西洋棘白鲳 in Mandarin Chinese

Order : Perciformes
Family : Ephippidae
Genus : Chaetodipterus
Species : Chaetodipterus faber
Authority : Broussonet, 1782