# atlantic bumer vs moon fish



## specslayer (Oct 9, 2007)

ive caught baits around here that people call moon fish but they do not look like them and i just found this other fish called an atlantic bumper not to be confused with bunker...heres amoonfish pic 










and heres a bumper












so what im saying is i think were misidentifying(sp) these fish and there really atlantic bumper


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## John B. (Oct 2, 2007)

atlantic bumper, moonfish, crazyfish.... they all suck for mackerel bait...... throw one infront of a 100+lb YFT.... game over.


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## fishyfingers (Oct 3, 2007)

Yes, it is a misidentification. Most often you will catch bumpers mixed in with sardines. I've caught hundreds of bumpersover the years and I can remember each of the 4 moonfish I've ever landed. 

Atlantic bumpers actually do make good live bait, offshore, and I've done well with them on a trolley when other choice bait was scarce. They are like a blue runner on meth, skinny and jittery and tough to kill.

Now ask me about the LY!:doh


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## Get'n Wade (Oct 28, 2007)

It is a Leather Jack. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leather_jack


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## fishyfingers (Oct 3, 2007)

Get'n'Wade's link does in fact picture a Leather jack, Atlantic leatherjacket (Oligoplites saurus).

The top pic on this thread is of an Atlantic moonfish (Selene setapinnis), not to be confused with the similar but even more odd looking Lookdown (Selene vomer).

Second pic is the Atlantic bumper (Chloroscobrus chrysurus).

The leatherjacket and the bumper can be easily distinguished by the bumper having a body at least half as deep as it is long while the leatherjacket looks like a bright silver mackeral. The leatherjacket also has a series of finlets between the dorsal and anal fins and the tail which the bumper does not. The leatherjacket has the 2 sharp spines ahead of the anal fin but these will cause an extremely painful wound if not handled with extra caution, this being an experience that you will not soon forget.


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