Oligoplites saurus                                               Photo Claire Sunquist ©

The Leatherjacket is a very small, mackerel like fish that is common in nearshore areas and around Gulf bars and reefs. They are also known as skipjacks or yellowtails because of their distinctive yellow fin. It is related to the jack family and feeds agressively on smaller fish and shrimp. This means that the fish are often caught on hooks intended for larger fish. Leatherjackets are almost never eaten and must be handled with care as their fins carry a poison that causes aching and throbbing for hours after being punctured by the fish.

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