Fish Identification Photos: Shafted Bonefish, Threadfin Bonefish, Albula nemoptera: The Shafted Bonefish is a long slender cylindrical silvery fish with yellow pectoral and pelvic fins and a dark caudal fin.

The Shafted Bonefish is fairly easy to identify because of its prolonged filamentous last dorsal fin ray and long last anal fin ray. The dorsal ray is longer than the anal ray. The pelvic fins originate under the middle of the dorsal fin.

The mouth of the Shafted Bonefish reaches the eye, another key identification characteristic. The Shafted Bonefish is very similar to and at first sight can be easily confused with three species, the Eastern Pacific Bonefish, Albula esuncula; the Ladyfish, Elops affinis; and the Milk Fish, Chanos chanos. However, none of these three species has an elongated anal or dorsal fin ray.

The Shafted Bonefish reaches 2 feet in length and is normally found in the first 30 feet of the water column over sandy bottoms.

The Shafted Bonefish is a member of the Albulidae or Bonefish Family which consists of only one genus, Albula.

The Shafted Bonefish is a coastal pelagic species that is reported to be found in Mexican waters along the Pacific side of the Baja California Sur peninsula south of Magdalena Bay, only in southern one-third of the Sea of Cortez, and along the coast of the mainland south to Guatemala. It appears to be absent from all oceanic islands.

Shafted Bonefish, Albula nemoptera: Shows up when one purchases a “scoop of bait.” Caught in the surf zone, La Playita, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico, during late December 2003, with a water temperature of 76 degrees, early morning, in 5 to 10 foot water, utilizing a cast net by panguero bait salesmen. Size approximately 8 inches and 1 pound. Virtually an unknown species to locals. Description and photo courtesy John Snow. Shafted Bonefish, Albula nemoptera: Donated to Mexfish.com by the commercial Mexican pangueros of Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, Mexico, June 2007. Size 36 inches. Description and photo courtesy John Snow. Shafted Bonefish, Albula nemoptera: Fund at El Rincon, East Cape, Baja California Sur, Mexico, November 2000. Description and photo courtesy Peter Langstraat.