Common Name
Horse-eye Jack
Year Described
Spix & Agassiz, 1831
Identification
Dorsal Fin: 8 spines in first lobe, followed by I, 19-22
Anal Fin: 2 spines separate from rest, followed by I, 16-18
Pelvic Fin: I, 5
Gill Rakers: 6-7 upper, 16-18 lower
Vertebrae: 10 precaudal, 14 caudal
Elongate, compressed, and deep-bodied, with a large head, blunt snout, and a large eye (3.8-4.2 times in HL). Adipose eyelid strong. Snout short; jaw reaches posterior margin of eye. Teeth in two row in the upper jaw (with strong canines) and a single row in the lower jaw. Pectoral fins falcate, longer than head. Spiny dorsal fin lower than lobe of second dorsal fin. Anterior lobe of second dorsal and anal fin raised. Tail deeply forked. Lateral line with a strong anterior arch and a straight posterior portion with 32-39 scutes. Small cycloid scales on entire body, including entire chest. Bilateral caudal keels present. Hyperostosis absent.
Color
Blue-gray to dark blue above, silvery-white below (sometimes with a golden sheen ventrally). A small spot on the upper opercular margin but no spot on the pectoral fin. Fins pale except for yellowish caudal fin and dark dorsal lobe. Lateral line scutes often dark. Juveniles with 5 thick dark body bars.
Size
Common to 50cm FL. Maximum size to at least 80cm FL.
Habitat
Pelagic around islands and offshore reefs. Occurs closer to the coast as juveniles, which are often found in estuaries and along beaches. Forms small schools.
Range
New Jersey to SE Brazil, including Bermuda and the Caribbean islands.
References
Smith-Vaniz, W.F. 2003. Carangidae (pp 1426-1468). In: Carpenter. 2003. The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic v. 3.