Butterfish
Butterfish
Peprilus triacanthus
Quick Facts
Butterfish (Peprilus triacanthus). Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Katie Rogers
Butterfish (Peprilus triacanthus). Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Katie Rogers
About the Species
U.S. wild-caught butterfish is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.
Population
The stock is not overfished.
Fishing Rate
Not subject to overfishing.
Habitat Impact
Fishing gears used to harvest butterfish have minimal impacts on habitat.
Bycatch
Regulations limit possession of bycatch species and require modified fishing gear to reduce bycatch.
Population Status
- According to the 2022 stock assessment, butterfish is not overfished and not subject to overfishing. Summary stock assessment information can be found on Stock SMART.
- Scientists at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center survey the abundance of butterfish off the East Coast.
- They added temperature and habitat information into the stock assessment model, which helps them more accurately estimate fish abundance. Using this approach, the model indicated that the population was more abundant than previously estimated.
- Incorporating this type of environmental information into stock assessments will become increasingly important as the climate changes and the oceans warm.
Appearance
- Butterfish are dull blue on the top, with pale sides and a silvery belly. Numerous irregular dark spots fade after they are harvested.
- Very thin and deep-bodied, like a flounder set upright, and somewhat circular or rounded.
- Small mouths with weak teeth and blunt noses.
- 6 to 9 inches in length, though some individuals can reach 12 inches.
- Up to 1.25 pounds in weight.
Biology
- Butterfish are short-lived and grow rapidly.
- Few live to more than 3 years of age, and most are sexually mature at age 1.
- Spawning occurs during June and July.
- They are semi-pelagic, and form loose schools that feed upon small invertebrates.
- They have a high natural mortality rate and are preyed upon by many species of fish, marine mammals, and seabirds.
Where They Live
Range
- Butterfish are found from Florida to Newfoundland, but they are primarily found from Cape Hatteras to the Gulf of Maine.
Habitat
- Butterfish shift their distribution in response to changing bottom water temperatures.
- During summer, they move northward and inshore to feed and spawn.
- During winter, they move southward and offshore to avoid cold waters.
Fishery Management
- NOAA Fisheries and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council manage the butterfish fishery.
- Managed under the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan:
- Fishermen must have a permit to harvest butterfish. Managers limit the amount of available permits to control harvests.
- Annual catch limits are in place to prevent overfishing.
- Managers monitor commercial catch weekly.
- Vessel trip limits are based on gear mesh sizes, and are adjusted based on landings.
Harvest
- In 2022, commercial landings of butterfish totaled 1.8 million pounds and were valued at $1.6 million, according to the NOAA Fisheries commercial fishing landings database.
- Butterfish are primarily landed in Point Judith and North Kingstown, Rhode Island; Montauk, New York; and New Bedford, Massachusetts. They are generally exported to Japan, where they are a popular menu item.
- Otter trawls are used to catch butterfish.
- Otter trawls can incidentally catch other fish and marine mammals as bycatch, and can impact habitat, depending on where they are used.
- Gear restrictions (minimum mesh size) when fishing with otter trawls are used to reduce bycatch.
Scientific Classification
- Butterfish are found from Florida to Newfoundland, but they are primarily found from Cape Hatteras to the Gulf of Maine.
- Butterfish shift their distribution in response to changing bottom water temperatures.
- During summer, they move northward and inshore to feed and spawn.
- During winter, they move southward and offshore to avoid cold waters.
Fishery Management
- NOAA Fisheries and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council manage the butterfish fishery.
- Managed under the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan:
- Fishermen must have a permit to harvest butterfish. Managers limit the amount of available permits to control harvests.
- Annual catch limits are in place to prevent overfishing.
- Managers monitor commercial catch weekly.
- Vessel trip limits are based on gear mesh sizes, and are adjusted based on landings.
Harvest
- In 2022, commercial landings of butterfish totaled 1.8 million pounds and were valued at $1.6 million, according to the NOAA Fisheries commercial fishing landings database.
- Butterfish are primarily landed in Point Judith and North Kingstown, Rhode Island; Montauk, New York; and New Bedford, Massachusetts. They are generally exported to Japan, where they are a popular menu item.
- Otter trawls are used to catch butterfish.
- Otter trawls can incidentally catch other fish and marine mammals as bycatch, and can impact habitat, depending on where they are used.
- Gear restrictions (minimum mesh size) when fishing with otter trawls are used to reduce bycatch.
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia | Phylum | Chordata | Class | Actinopterygii | Order | Scombriformes | Family | Stromateidae | Genus | Peprilus | Species | triacanthus |
|---|
Featured News
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Seafood Facts
Is Butterfish Sustainable?
U.S. wild-caught butterfish is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.
Availability
Year-round.
Source
U.S. wild-caught from Maine to South Carolina.
Taste
Fatty, oily, and delicious.
Health Benefits
Butterfish is a good source of niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, protein, vitamin B12, and selenium.
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1; Serving Weight: 100 g (raw); Calories: 146; Protein: 17 g; Total Fat: 8 g; Total Saturated Fatty Acids: 3.4 g; Carbohydrate: 0 g; Total Sugars: 0 g; Total Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Cholesterol: 65 mg; Selenium: 36.5 mcg; Sodium: 89 mgSeafood News
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Regulated, Closed, and Access Areas
Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Restricted Areas
January 1 – December 31 | January 1 – December 31 | November 1 – December 31 | January 1 – March 15 |
Bottom trawl gear prohibited | Bottom trawl gear prohibited | Minimum mesh size of 5.0 inch diamond mesh | Minimum mesh size of 5.0 inch diamond mesh |
Transit allowed if bottom trawl gear is stowed and not available for immediate use. | Transit allowed if bottom trawl gear is stowed and not available for immediate use. | Transit allowed if codends less than 5.0 inches are stowed and not available for immediate use. | Transit allowed if codends less than 5.0 inches are stowed and not available for immediate use. |
| Applies to all permitted mackerel, squid, or butterfish vessels | Applies to all permitted mackerel, squid, or butterfish vessels | Applies to all trawl vessels fishing for longfin squid, black sea bass, or silver hake (whiting) | Applies to all trawl vessels fishing for longfin squid, black sea bass, or silver hake (whiting) |
*Coordinates for each area are listed below.
Oceanographer Canyon Coordinates
N. Lat. | W. Long. |
40°10.0' | 68°12.0' |
40°24.0' | 68°09.0' |
40°24.0' | 68°08.0' |
40°10.0' | 67°59.0' |
40°10.0' | 68°12.0' |
Lydonia Canyon Coordinates
N. Lat. | W. Long. |
40°16.0' | 67°34.0' |
40°16.0' | 67°42.0' |
40°20.0' | 67°43.0' |
40°27.0' | 67°40.0' |
40°27.0' | 67°38.0' |
40°16.0' | 67°34.0' |
Scup Gear Restricted Areas (GRA)
Southern GRA |
| Northern GRA | ||
N. lat. | W. long. | N. lat. | W. long. | |
39°20' | 72°53' | 41°00' | 71°00' | |
39°20' | 72°28' | 41°00' | 71°30' | |
38°00' | 73°58' | 40°00' | 72°40' | |
37°00' | 74°43' | 40°00' | 72°05' | |
36°30' | 74°43' | 41°00' | 71°00' | |
36°30' | 75°03' |
|
| |
37°00' | 75°03' |
|
| |
38°00' | 74°23' |
|
| |
39°20' | 72°53' |
|
| |
Science Overview
NOAA Fisheries conducts various research activities on the biology, behavior, and population health of butterfish. The results of this research are used to inform management decisions for this species.
For detailed information about stock status, management, assessments, and resource trends, you can search for butterfish, and any other species of interest, using NOAA’s StockSMART web tool.
Stock Assessment Review Index
Fishery Stock Assessments in New England and the Mid-Atlantic provides general information about stock assessments, and the Stock Assessment Review Index contains copies of completed assessment documents.
