It is a marine pelagic fish found around the world in temperate and subtropical waters, except for the northern Pacific Ocean.

Extinct relatives of the bluefish include Carangopsis from the Early Eocene of Italy and Lophar from the Late Miocene of Northern California.

They are found in a variety of coastal habitats: above the continental shelf, in energetic waters near surf beaches, or by rock headlands.

By October, they leave the waters north of New York City, heading south (whereas some bluefish, perhaps less migratory,[13][14] are present in the Gulf of Mexico throughout the year).

They are fast swimmers that prey on schools of forage fish, and continue attacking them in feeding frenzies even after they appear to have eaten their fill.

[4][12] Depending on area and season, they favor menhaden and other sardine-like fish (Clupeidae), jacks (Scombridae), weakfish (Sciaenidae), grunts (Haemulidae), striped anchovies (Engraulidae), shrimp, and squid.

As juveniles, they fall victim to a wide variety of oceanic predators, including striped bass, larger bluefish, fluke (summer flounder), weakfish, tuna, sharks, rays, and dolphins.

[26] In New Jersey, the large beachfeeder schools are very common and lifeguards report never having seen bluefish bite bathers in their entire careers.

[28] The IGFA All Tackle World Record for bluefish stands at 14.4 kg (31 lb 12 oz) landed by James Hussey near Hatteras, North Carolina.

[29] The unofficial record belongs to Captain Benjamin Dellacono who landed a 35 lb 6oz Blue Fish off the coast of Stonington, Connecticut.

In the middle Atlantic region of the U.S., bluefish were heavily overfished in the late 1990s, but active management rebuilt the stock by 2007.

[34] Elsewhere, public awareness efforts, such as bluefish festivals, combined with catch limits, may be having positive effects in reducing the stress on the regional stocks.

[39] It must be refrigerated and consumed soon after purchase; some recipes call for keeping it in vinegar and wine before cooking, in vina d'alhos[38] or en escabeche.