Black sea bass are stout-bodied with a long dorsal fin and large pectoral and pelvic fins. The dorsal fin has a spiny forward section and the soft rayed rear section, and is marked with a series of white spots and bands. The tail is rounded and sometimes has a long streamer at the top edge. As the name implies, their body coloration is blackish to grayish, but the center of the scales is white. During the spawning season, however, dominant males turn bright blue colors and have a large hump on their heads.

• Fish are measured from the tip of the snout or jaw (mouth closed) to the farthest extremity of the tail, not including the tail filament (see photo above).  Black sea bass may be filleted but not skinned while at-sea. short text here.  

Tautog are a stout fish with a blunt nose and thick lips. They have one long dorsal fin which has sharp spines, as do their pelvic fins. Tautog have large conical teeth in the front of their mouths and flat crushing teeth in back. They range from dark green to black on their dorsal side with mottling down to a lighter belly and a white chin. While the largest tautog ever caught with hook and line in Massachusetts weighed nearly 23 pounds, the average fish caught by an angler weighs 2–4 pounds.

• Fluke are a left-side flatfish with both eyes on the left side of the body. They have a large mouth that can extend beyond its eyes. Females live up to 20 years and weigh about 20 pounds, while males rarely pass 7 years or 5 pounds.
• Fluke can change their dorsal coloration to camouflage with the ocean bottom. They can turn shades of gray, blue, green, orange, and even black. Dark spots, or ocelli, mark the fluke's upper body. The blind-side is white, like most flatfish.

The striped bass is native to the United States and Canada. It is found from the lower St. Lawrence River in Canada to Northern Florida, and along portions of the Gulf of Mexico. The striped bass have been prized in Massachusetts since colonial times. Today, they support both recreational and commercial fisheries in Massachusetts. Striped bass is by far one of the most important fish to local anglers. The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) does much research to support the proper management of the species.

• Bluefish are usually 20-25 inches long, but can get up to 42 inches in length.
• They are blue or blue-green along their back, fading to silver or white along their sides and belly.
• Bluefish have two dorsal fins, with the second far larger than the first. They also have forked tails and very sharp teeth.

• Anglers catch bluefish near inlets, shoals, and rips where large schools aggregate to feed on bait fish. Bluefish can bite through weak line, so use line of at least 40-pound mono or braid with a wire leader. Single hook top water plugs with a lure work best.

Scup are a silvery fish with light blue specks and several horizontal stripes. Their bellies are white and they have darker patches on the head. Scup are lean and tall fish, with a small mouth, high set eyes, and one long spiny dorsal fin. They can live up to at least 14 years, weigh up to 5 pounds, and grow up to 18 inches, although most of the catch in Massachusetts consists of fish less than 6 years old, 3 pounds in weight, and 14 inches in length.

• Scup are a migratory fish, with Massachusetts generally serving as its most northern habitat. From April through October, they may be present in our southern inshore waters, provided sea temperatures exceed 45°F.

• Inshore Atlantic cod are usually smaller than offshore cod. Inshore cod range from 27-34 inches in length and weigh between 6 and 12 pounds, while offshore Atlantic cod are usually 40-42 inches long and weigh 25 pounds, but some can grow to be six feet long. 
• Atlantic cod are usually grey-green or red-brown in color with the exception of their belly which is typically white. They also have dark spots which fade along the sides. 
• Atlantic cod have 3 dorsal fins and 2 anal fins, which mirror the second and third dorsal fins.

• New England waters used to be filled with Atlantic cod, but because they were such popular fish, the advances made in fishing technology has led to a decrease in cod numbers.

Haddock have a similar shape when compared to other groundfish, like Atlantic cod, having three dorsal fins and two anal fins. They have distinguishable coloring with a silvery dark blue and purple-grey back, fading down to a lighter silver on the sides and a white belly. Haddock have a black lateral line down the length of their body and a prominent dark spot over their pectoral fin, sometimes called “The Devils Thumbprint”. Most haddock weigh between 2 and 7 pounds and are 14-23 inches long, however they do get bigger. The largest fish caught on record was 44 inches and weighed almost 40 pounds!

• Haddock are more abundant in our waters now than they have been in 40 years. Combining healthy populations with its delicious taste makes it an excellent choice as a sustainable target species.