Latin name

Trachinotus goodei

Other names

Gafftopsail pompano, joefish, longfin pompano, sand mackerel; French: carangue quatre; Portuguese: galhudo; Spanish: palometa, pampano.

Identification

A bright silvery fish with a deep body, it can be grayish green and blue on top and yellowish on the breast. It has dark, elongated dorsal and anal fins fringed with a bluish hue, and a tail with a black rim. She also has four narrow stripes that range from black to white and are located high on the sides. A fifth stripe appears near the tail. It is similar to Florida pompano, but the anterior dorsal and anal fin blades are blackish and very elongated (the tips reach the middle of the caudal fin).

Distribution

In the western Atlantic Ocean, fish are common from Massachusetts to Argentina, as well as in the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and Bermuda. They are common in the eastern and southern Caribbean, occasionally found in the Bahamas and Florida, rarely in the northwestern Caribbean.

Habitat

Living in waters up to 35 feet deep, the fish usually form large aggregations in clear waters in the surf zone, along sandy beaches and bays, sometimes around reefs and in rocky areas.

Size

Rarely reaches a weight of 1 pound and is usually 7 to 14 inches long. The maximum length is 18 inches. The world record for weight of all tackle is 1 pound 4 ounces.

Life history and Behavior

This species is thought to spawn in the sea in the spring, summer, and fall.

Food and feeding habits

They feed on crustaceans, sea worms, mollusks and small fish.

Reproduction

No information