Blue fish color
 

I had a chance last nite to fish from a boat at Barrington beach in R.I. I mostly fish Fairhaven Ma. waters from the surf. I caught a blue fish that was very black colored on its back near the dorsal fin. Can blues be a different color in different locations? Most i get around home are green colored and only one caught at barrington was this color. Just somthing I have not seen before and wondering if anyone else has experienced this.

That's one of those bluefish that swam through Buzzards Bay area after the oil spill. It didn't happen to have a custom Yellow needle fish in its mouth did it?

It didn't, but it would have been a nice bonus! I know that a fish can flex its scales to give it a darker look. What do you R.I. fishermen feed your fish?

I've caught them with the dark, nearly black backs on the outer beaches a number of times.

I always guessed that maybe those were fresh in from offshore, but that's just guessing.