Description: Body elongate and compressed, body depth in adults more than a quarter of its length. Dorsal fin very long, originating on the head and extending to near the caudal peduncle; anal fin also quite long. Adult males have a bony crest in the front of the head. Very short pectoral fins. Caudal fin deeply forked. Back brilliant metallic blue-green in live specimens (quickly fading to grey after death); sides silvery with a golden sheen and numerous black spots. Dorsal fin dark.
Global Distribution: Circumglobal in tropical and subtropical waters. View Map
BIOLOGICAL FEATURES
Size: Maximum length 127 cm (total length); common length 50.0 cm (TL).
Behavioural ecology: Usually forms schools. Follows boats and may be found under floating objects.
Population structure & migrations: Highly migratory species.
ECOLOGICAL FEATURES
Depth range:
Habitat: Highly migratory species.
Feeding habits: Feeds on small fishes and squids.
Trophic level: FishBase: 4.5
FISHERIES
Commercial interest: Commercial species. Also gamefish.
Conservation status: Global: Least concern.
Europe: Least concern.
Nutritional information & food safety:
REFERENCES
Carpenter K.E., ed. (2002). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Volume 3: Bony fishes part 2 (Opistognathidae to Molidae), sea turtles and marine mammals. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes and American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Special Publication No. 5. FAO, Rome, pp. 1375-2127.
IUCN (2014). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. www.iucnredlist.org
Nieto A., Ralph G.M., Comeros-Raynal M.T., Kemp J., GarcÃa Criado M., Allen D.J., Dulvy N.K., Walls R.H.L., Russell B., Pollard D., GarcÃa S., Craig M., Collette B.B., Pollom R., Biscoito M., Labbish Chao N., Abella A., Afonso P., Ãlvarez H., Carpenter K.E., Clò S., Cook R., Costa M.J., Delgado J., Dureuil M., Ellis J.R., Farrell E.D., Fernandes P., Florin A-B., Fordham S., Fowle, S., Gil de Sola L., Gil Herrera J., Goodpaster A., Harvey M., Heessen H., Herler J., Jung A., Karmovskaya E., Keskin C., Knudsen S.W., Kobyliansky S., KovaÄić M., Lawson J.M., Lorance P., McCully Phillips S., Munroe T., Nedreaas K., Nielsen J., Papaconstantinou C., Polidoro B., Pollock C.M., Rijnsdorp A.D., Sayer C., Scott J., Serena F., Smith-Vaniz W.F., Soldo A., Stump E., Williams J.T. (2015). Europen Red List of Marine Fishes. IUCN and European Union, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 90 pp.
