Decapterus punctatus
Round Scad
Collection Details
Specimens
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Carangidae (Jacks)
Decapterus
Decapterus punctatus (Round Scad)
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
Elongate and oval in cross section, two distinctly separated dorsal fins, widely separated finlets behind second dorsal fin and anal fin, scutes on entire straight section of lateral line. Dorsal profile of head very slightly convex, snout relatively long and acutely pointed. Eye possesses well-developed adipose eyelid. Maxilla extends beyond anterior margin of eye. Jaw teeth minute and arranged in a single row. Preopercular margin smooth. Gill rakers on first arch lathlike, 11 to 16 on upper limb and 32 to 40 on lower limb. Branchiostegal rays number 7. Anterior margin of shoulder girdle has two small papillae. Pectoral fin falcate with 19 to 21 rays. First dorsal fin consists of eight spines, second dorsal fin has one spine and 29 to 34 rays. Anal fin consists of two free spines followed by one spine and 25 to 30 rays. Chest fully scaled. Lateral line moderately arched anteriorly with 37 to 56 scales, 0 to 6 scutes on curved section, and 32 to 46 scutes on straight section. Total lateral line scales and scutes range from 77 to 98. Vertebrae number 25: 10 precaudal and 15 caudal. Caudal peduncle lacks keels.
Greenish to greenish blue dorsally and silvery to white with a dusky cast ventrally. Narrow bronze or olive stripe extends from tip of snout to caudal peduncle, small black spot on upper margin of operculum, and 1 to 14 dark spots mark pores of lateral line scales on curved section of lateral line.
Distribution
Coastal waters from Massachusetts and Bermuda to Brazil, including the northern and southern Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles.
Northern and southern Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Tropical and warm temperate Atlantic, closely associated with the bottom to about 90 m.
Biology
Feeds on planktonic invertebrates, such as copepods, gastropod larvae, ostracods, and pteropods.
Maximum known size is about 183 mm FL.
Adults inhabit neritic waters, often near sandy beaches (Ref. 5217). A shoaling species, generally near the bottom (Ref. 27121). They feed on planktonic invertebrates, primarily copepods, but also on gastropod larvae, ostracods and pteropods (Ref. 3277). Spawning occurs well offshore year-round (Ref. 26938). Eggs are pelagic (Ref. 4233). A good food fish (Ref. 9626). Caught commercially and used mainly for bait.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2012-08-20. Resilience: High (K=0.32; tm<1; Fec=28,600).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial.
References
Longley and Hildebrand 1941
Berry 1968
Böhlke and Chaplin 1968
Randall 1968a
Randall 1996
Robins and Ray 1986
Smith-Vaniz 1986a
Smith-Vaniz 2002c
Boschung 1992
Cervigón 1993b
Schaldach et al. 1997
Smith 1997
Smith-Vaniz et al. 1999
Randall, J.E. (1967) Food habits of reef fishes of the West Indies. Stud. Trop. Oceanogr. Miami 5:665-847.
Schneider, W. (1990) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Field guide to the commercial marine resources of the Gulf of Guinea. Prepared and published with the support of the FAO Regional Office for Africa. Rome: FAO. 268 p.
Smith-Vaniz, W.F. (1986) Carangidae. p. 638-661. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Berry, F.H. and W.F. Smith-Vaniz (1978) Carangidae. In W. Fischer (ed.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. West Atlantic (Fishing Area 31). volume 1. FAO, Rome. [var. pag.].
Smith-Vaniz, W.F. (1986) Carangidae. p. 815-844. In P.J.P. Whitehead, M.-L. Bauchot, J.-C. Hureau, J. Nielsen and E. Tortonese (eds.) Fishes of the north-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. UNESCO, Paris. vol. 2.
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.
Randall, J.E. (1996) Caribbean reef fishes. Third Edition - revised and enlarged. T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Ltd., Hong Kong. 3nd ed. 368 p.
Bowman, R.E., C.E. Stillwell, W.L. Michaels and M.D. Grosslein (2000) Food of northwest Atlantic fishes and two common species of squid. NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-NE 155, 138 p.
Comments On Decapterus punctatus