The ladyfish, a member of the Elopidae family, is a recognizable coastal species in warm waters worldwide, often referred to as the “tenpounder” or “poor man’s tarpon.” This long, slender fish has a silvery body and is known for its energetic fighting style and leaping ability when caught by anglers. Ladyfish are distributed across shallow marine and brackish coastal environments. They exhibit aggressive feeding habits that make them effective predators in their ecosystem.
Primary Food Sources
The adult ladyfish maintains a carnivorous and opportunistic diet, focusing primarily on schooling baitfish and various crustaceans. Dietary analysis consistently shows that small, bony fish comprise the largest portion of their meals, sometimes accounting for over 90% of the stomach contents by volume. Common fish prey include forage species like anchovies, menhaden, silversides, and mullet fingerlings, which are often swallowed whole.
The remaining portion of their diet consists of invertebrates, particularly crustaceans such as shrimp and small crabs. Ladyfish consume these, especially in the shallow, muddy, or sandy bottom areas they frequent. This dual-category diet demonstrates the ladyfish’s flexibility as a predator, allowing it to exploit the most abundant food sources available in its immediate environment.
Hunting Behavior and Habitat
Ladyfish are active and visual predators, relying on speed and schooling behavior to capture prey. They are known to be feeders that can cause visible disturbances on the water’s surface during a feeding frenzy. These fish often hunt in schools, coordinating movements to herd or drive baitfish toward the surface or the shoreline, making the prey easier to ambush.
Their preferred feeding habitats are shallow coastal waters, particularly estuaries, bays, and near shorelines where baitfish and invertebrates congregate. Ladyfish tolerate varying salinities, allowing them to move between marine and brackish water, and occasionally even venturing into freshwater. They utilize grass flats, tidal pools, and channels with moderate currents as ideal hunting grounds. This pursuit-style hunting allows them to efficiently consume prey before it can escape.
Changes in Diet by Life Stage
The diet of the ladyfish transforms significantly as the fish progresses through its life stages. The earliest stage is the transparent, ribbon-like leptocephalus larva, which does not actively forage. Instead, these larvae absorb dissolved organic nutrients directly from the surrounding water through their skin.
As the larva grows, its diet shifts to include zooplankton and insects. The juvenile stage then transitions to a diet dominated by tiny crustaceans, such as copepods, and increasingly small fishes. Juvenile ladyfish sometimes feed heavily on aquatic insects, such as those from the Corixidae and Dysticidae families, during drier periods. The adult phase completes the dietary shift, focusing on larger fish and crustaceans for their active, predatory lifestyle.