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Family Carangidae
Description: body is deep and compressed; coloration is metallic-blue above, silvery below; snout is blunt; pelvic fins are longer than the maxilla; second dorsal and anal fins are falcate
Size: to 91 centimeters (3 feet) and 19 kilograms (42 pounds)
Where found: young are pelagic; adults found to depths of 55 meters (180 feet) often associated with reefs, wrecks, and rock ledges
Remarks: great fighter and good to eat; often found in schools over structure
Family Carangidae, JACKS and POMPANOS Trachinotus goodei
Description: grayish-blue-green on top of head and along the back; bright silvery sides; yellow on breast; elongated dorsal and anal fins; dusky or black with bluish edges; deep body, with four narrow bars high on the sides, and traces of a fifth fin nearer the tail; no scutes.
Similar Fish: pompano, T. carolinus; permit, T. falcatus.
Where found: in clear water along sandy beaches and bays, occasionally found over reefs; most common in south Florida.
Size: rarely over 1 pound, reported to 3 pounds.
*Florida Record: n/a
Remarks: thought to spawn OFFSHORE in spring, summer, and fall; has shown rapid growth in mariculture experiments; readily strikes small artificial lures.
* The Florida records quoted are from the Department of Environmental Protection's printed publication, Fishing Lines and are not necessarily the most current ones. The records are provided as only as a benchmark.
Family Carangidae, JACKS and POMPANOS Trachinotus falcatus
Description: color gray, dark or iridescent blue above, shading to silvery sides, in dark waters showing golden tints around breast; small permit have teeth on tongue (none on pompano); no scutes; dorsal fin insertion directly above that of the anal fin; 17 to 21 soft anal rays.
Similar Fish: pompano, T. carolinus. The permit is deeper bodied; dorsal body profile forms angle at insertion of second dorsal fin; pompano rarely grow larger than 6 pounds, permit common to 40 pounds.
Where found: OFFSHORE on wrecks and debris, INSHORE on grass flats, sand flats, and in channels; most abundant in south Florida, with smaller specimens from every coastal county.
Size: common to 25 pounds.
*Florida Record: 51 lbs., 8 ozs.
Remarks: feeds mainly on bottom-dwelling crabs, shrimp, small clams, and small fish.
* The Florida records quoted are from the Department of Environmental Protection's printed publication, Fishing Lines and are not necessarily the most current ones. The records are provided as only as a benchmark.
Family Carangidae, JACKS and POMPANOS Trachinotus carolinus
Description: greenish gray on back, shading to silvery sides; fish in dark waters showing gold on throat, pelvic, and anal fins; deep flattened body with small mouth; no scutes; 22 to 27 soft dorsal rays; 20 to 23 soft anal rays; origin of anal fin slightly behind origin of second dorsal.
Similar Fish: permit, T. falcatus, palometa, T. goodei. The permit is deeper bodied; dorsal body profile not strongly angled at insertion of second dorsal fin; pompano rarely grow larger than 6 pounds, permit common to 40 pounds.
Where found: INSHORE and NEARSHORE waters, especially along sandy beaches, along oyster banks, and over grassbeds, often in turbid water; may be found in water as deep as 130 feet.
Size: usually less than 3 pounds.
*Florida Record: 8 lbs, 1 oz.
Remarks: spawns OFFSHORE between March and September; feeds on mollusks and crustaceans, especially sand fleas; local movements are influenced by the tide, and seasonal movements are influenced by temperature.
*The Florida records quoted are from the Department of Environmental Protection's printed publication, Fishing Lines and are not necessarily the most current ones. The records are provided as only as a benchmark.
Family Carangidae
