Teleostei (teleosts) >
Carangiformes (Jacks) >
Carangidae (Jacks and pompanos) > Caranginae
Etymology: Caranx: French, carangue, the name of a Caribbean fish; 1836 (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; brackish; benthopelagic; depth range 30 - 200 m (Ref. 27584), usually 30 - 50 m (Ref. 26999). Subtropical; 15°C - 22°C (Ref. 57055); 39°N - 22°S, 19°W - 36°E
Eastern Atlantic: Morocco to Angola (Ref. 4225, 57392), including the Mediterranean along the African coast. Range reported to extend south to Namibia (Ref. 27121).
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?, range 20 - ? cm
Max length : 60.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 57392); common length : 35.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3397); max. published weight: 1.0 kg (Ref. 27584)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 28 - 32; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 25 - 28. Diagnosis: body elongate and slightly compressed, its depth comprised from 3.8 to 4.4 times in fork length; eye posteriorly with a well developed adipose eyelid; 2 well separated dorsal fins, 1st with 8 spines, 2nd with 1 spine and 28-32 soft rays; anal fin with 2 detached spines, followed by 1 spine and 25-28 soft rays; last dorsal and anal ray transformed into a partially separate finlet, connected to the preceding ray by a low interradial membrane; pectoral fins short (comprised from 1.0 to 1.2 times in head length); scales small and cycloid; curved part of lateral line with 45-55 scales and 0-3 scutes, straight part with 0-8 scales and 24-32 scutes (Ref. 57392).
Coloration: back brownish to olivaceous, sides light olivaceous to whitish; a narrow yellowish band sometimes extending from head to caudal-fin base; a black spot on upper margin of gill cover; a black blotch with a narrow light distal margin present on second dorsal-fin lobe (Ref. 57392).
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.
Form schools. They occur frequently near the bottom, mostly in depths of 30 to 50 m. Also pelagic and found near the surface at times. Entering brackish-water lagoons and estuaries (Ref. 57392). Feed on small fish and invertebrates (Ref. 3195). Spawning grounds are located in shallow waters (Ref. 57055). Eggs are pelagic (Ref. 4233).
A partial spawner (Ref. 57055).
Smith-Vaniz, W.F., J.-C. Quéro and M. Desoutter, 1990. Carangidae. p. 729-755. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 2. (Ref. 7097)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial
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