Fish o' the Day - Atlantic cutlassfish

Here's one that many people aren't familiar with, although it's actually very common in our coastal waters. The Atlantic cutlassfish, Trichiurus lepturus, is often called the ribbonfish. They're unscaled, with a smooth, silvery skin. They have large eyes, and the mouth is equpped with (usually) four barbed teeth in the front. As the mouth would suggest, they're carnivores, feeding mainly on small fish. The body is greatly elongate, tapering to a pointed tail.

Cutlassfish can reach a length of 5 feet, although half that is a pretty good-sized one. They're very common inshore, particularly during the summer months, where they're famous for stealing bait. Cutlassfish are supposedly delicious, although I don't know anyone who's tried one. In China, there's an important cutlassfish fishery. In this country, they're most often used as bait for more desirable fish like king mackerel.