Quick Scoop: A “bunker fish” is usually Atlantic menhaden, a small schooling fish also called bunker, moss bunker, pogy, or fatback. It’s a major forage fish—meaning bigger fish, seabirds, and marine animals eat it.

What it is

Atlantic menhaden are silver, flat-bodied fish that live in coastal waters and estuaries along the U.S. Atlantic coast. They swim in large schools and feed mostly on plankton.

Why people mention it

Anglers often talk about bunker because striped bass and other predators love them, and they’re a common bait fish in coastal fishing discussions.

Small detail

If someone says “bunker” in a fishing context, they usually mean menhaden—not a type of fish in a bunker or anything like that.

TL;DR

Bunker fish = Atlantic menhaden. It’s a common bait/forage fish important to the marine food chain.