Thread: Scaled Sardine = "L-Y"

This clarification relates to a recent discussion on the pier regarding baitfish.
For those who don't know or may be confused about nomenclature of baitfish, what it generally called an "L-Y" on the Gulf Shores pier is actually a Scaled Sardine. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaled_sardine




It should not be confused with a somewhat-similar fish, the Gulf Menhaden.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_menhaden




The term, "L-Y" is a corruption of a misidentification of baitfish species, when apparently word got around that the Scaled Sardine was an "ALEWIFE", a totally different species of baitfish. Before the internet, it was difficult to look up and identify different species of baitfish, so nomenclature was typically the result of conjecture/speculation and it was subject to the effects of southern drawl, hence the "corruption of a misidentification" of ALEWIFE ("L-Y"). As you can see from the pictures, an "L-Y" isn't a menhaden and it's not an alewife. Although I'm a proponent of calling a fish by its actual name, I'll use "L-Y" on occasion, for the purpose of, ironically, clear communication, when speaking of the Scaled Sardine (understanding that most folks will hang onto "L-Y" forever).


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alewife

Or worse yet leather jacket

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leatherjacket_fish

Originally Posted by ironman172

Or worse yet leather jacket

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leatherjacket_fish

Yeah, you REALLY don't want to get those confused!

Originally Posted by eym_sirius

Yeah, you REALLY don't want to get those confused!

. . .because. . . there are short but very painful spines just behind the anal fin.

Originally Posted by midwestexile

. . .because. . . there are short but very painful spines just behind the anal fin.

Yes, the leatherjacket stings like a yellowjacket!

Good info Tom, thanks for sharing. Funny how local names for things can vary and be confusing! Take cobia for example..... I had always called menhaden "pogies" and I'm sure there are other names in different places.