Alectis ciliaris
African Pompano
NS
GNR
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Carangidae (Jacks)
Alectis
Alectis ciliaris (African Pompano)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Moderately deep bodied as adult and very deep bodied as juvenile, compressed; bony scutes on straight section of lateral line; posterior section of body triangular shaped; dorsal profile of head strongly arched; snout blunt; eye with adipose eyelid; maxilla extends to or beyond middle of eye; jaw teeth small, clawlike, depressible, in narrow bands, becoming obsolete with age; preopercular margin membranous; gill rakers on first arch lathlike, 4-6 on upper limb and 12-17 on lower limb; branchiostegal rays 7; pectoral fin falcate with 20 rays; first dorsal fin of 7 free spines in juveniles, absent in adults; second dorsal fin with 1 spine and 18 or 19 rays, anterior rays lobelike in adults; pelvic fin very elongate in juveniles; anal fin with 2 free spines followed by 1 spine and 15-17 rays, anterior rays elongated and forming lobe; free anal spines not visible in adults; scales very small and cycloid, parts of head and body naked; lateral line strongly arched anteriorly with 12-30 scutes on posterior straight section; caudal peduncle with 2 keels
Silvery with light metallic bluish tinge on upper section of head and body; juveniles with 3 chevron-shaped dark patterns on body
Distribution
Western Atlantic from Massachusetts and Bermuda to Brazil, including the entire Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Antilles
Habitat Associations
Tropical to warm temperate seas; adults occur near the bottom to a depth of 60 m
Pelagic drifters as juveniles; solitary species
Biology
Food consists of squids, small crabs, and ray-finned fishes
Maximum known size is 130 cm to 150 cm FL
Pelagic in neritic and oceanic waters, sometimes near the bottom (Ref. 5217, 58302). Small juveniles may be found near the shore (Ref. 5217); adults near bottom to depths of 60 m (Ref. 26938). Feed on sedentary or slow moving crustaceans and occasionally feed on small crabs and fishes (Ref. 9283). Juveniles are attractive aquarium fish, but do not do well in captivity (Ref. 12484). Excellent food fish (Ref. 9626); marketed fresh or dried or salted (Ref. 9283).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2009-03-27. Resilience: Low (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish; aquarium: commercial.
References
Böhlke and Chaplin 1968
Randall 1968a
Randall 1996
Hoese and Moore 1977
Hoese and Moore 1998
Matsuura 1983e
Robins and Ray 1986
Smith-Vaniz 1986a
Smith-Vaniz 2001b
Boschung 1992
Cervigón 1993b
Schaldach et al. 1997
Smith 1997
Smith-Vaniz et al. 1999
Randall, J.E., G.R. Allen and R.C. Steene (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. 506 p.
Cervigón, F., R. Cipriani, W. Fischer, L. Garibaldi, M. Hendrickx, A.J. Lemus, R. Márquez, J.M. Poutiers, G. Robaina and B. Rodriguez (1992) Fichas FAO de identificación de especies para los fines de la pesca. Guía de campo de las especies comerciales marinas y de aquas salobres de la costa septentrional de Sur América. FAO, Rome. 513 p. Preparado con el financiamento de la Comisión de Comunidades Europeas y de NORAD.
Paxton, J.R., D.F. Hoese, G.R. Allen and J.E. Hanley (1989) Pisces. Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Zoological Catalogue of Australia, Vol. 7. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 665 p.
Randall, J.E. (1996) Caribbean reef fishes. Third Edition - revised and enlarged. T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Ltd., Hong Kong. 3nd ed. 368 p.
Smith, C.L. (1997) National Audubon Society field guide to tropical marine fishes of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. 720 p.
Sommer, C., W. Schneider and J.-M. Poutiers (1996) FAO species identification field guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of Somalia. FAO, Rome. 376 p.
Myers, R.F. (1999) Micronesian reef fishes: a comprehensive guide to the coral reef fishes of Micronesia, 3rd revised and expanded edition. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 330 p.
López-Peralta, R.H. and C.A.T. Arcila (2002) Diet composition of fish species form the southern continental shelf of Colombia. Naga, WorldFish Center Q. 25(3-4):23-29.
Gross, M.R. and R. Shine (1981) Parental care and mode of fertilization in ectothermic vertebrates. Evolution 35(4):775-793.
Kimura, S., S. Takeuchi and T. Yadome (2022) Generic revision of the species formerly belonging to the genus Carangoides and its related genera (Carangiformes: Carangidae). Ichthyol. Res. 69(4):433-487. DOI: 10.1007/s10228-021-00850-1
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