A tall, disc-shaped, silvery fish crossed by four to six black vertical bands, common around the
jetties and any structure with barnacles. The Florida Museum gives a maximum of 35.8 inches and 19.8
pounds and notes that adults school in groups of up to 500. The juveniles are one of the better
mimicry stories on this coast: almost black with pale mottling, they drift at an angle near the
surface and pass for dead leaves or mangrove litter. Spawning runs May through September and a single
female can release up to a million eggs in a season.
Source-backed field notes
- TPWD expected the Texas Clipper reef to hold Atlantic spadefish, red snapper, barracuda, almaco jack, cobia and various sharks, plus endangered hawksbill and Kemp's ridley sea turtles and marine mammals. (The USTS Texas Clipper: A New Artificial Reef in the Gulf of Mexico - TPWD)
- The SPI CVB guide says spadefish, generally an offshore species, move inshore and are common along the jetties and in the bay along the southernmost Texas coast, and are most often caught on tiny live shrimp and small jigs. (Bay & Offshore Fishing — South Padre Island (SPI CVB fishing guide))
Observe responsibly
Wildlife, tides and access conditions change. Keep a respectful distance, do not feed wildlife, stay out of dunes and marked nesting areas, and use current official rules before fishing or handling any catch.