Trachinotus goodei

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Palometa
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Carangidae
Genus: Trachinotus
Species: T. goodei
Binomial name
Trachinotus goodei
Jordan & Evermann, 1896

The Palometa,Trachinotus goodei, is an ocean-going game fish of the family Carangidae. In the wild, Palometa eat worms, insect pupae, and smaller fish[2] .

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[edit] Description

Palometa are most recognized by their elongated dorsal and anal fins with dark anterior lobes [3] . The dorsal fin usually has 7-8 spines and 19-20 soft rays, while the anal fin has 2-3 spines and 16-18 soft rays[4]. They can have colors from gray to blue-green on the tops of their heads, and have silver-colored sides with four narrow, vertical bars. A Palometa's breast usually has an orange tinge, and the tips of their fins are darkened. The tail has no scutes, unlike many members of its family, and has a faint fifth vertical bar near the base.[5] The largest known Palometa was 50cm long [6]; The largest known weight of any Palometa is 560g[7].

[edit] Distribution and habitat

Palometa prefer clear, tropical water of sandy shores and bays. They are also known to swim in small schools above coral reefs[8] at depths up to 12m[9] . Palometa are found only in the western Atlantic ocean from Massachusetts, east to Bermuda, south to Argentina. They are also found in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean sea[10] .

[edit] Reproduction

Little is known about the reproduction of the Palometa. They are thought to spawn far offshore during all seasons, save winter [11].Young Palometa have shown high growth rates in maricultural experiments.[12]

[edit] Importance to humans

Though there have been reports of ciguatera poisoning[13], the Palometa is considered primarily a game fish. Although it is used in aquaculture[14] , there are only two known cases of Palometa being traded as aquarium fish between 1995 and 2000. Both reports came from Fortaleza, Ceará (Brazil)[15], but Palometa are rarely used for any other purpose than as a gamefish.

[edit] References

  1. ^ IUCN 2007. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <http://www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 23 February 2008.
  2. ^ Fishbase.org entry on Palometa. Retrieved on 2008-04-07.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Fishbase.org entry on Palometa. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  5. ^ myfwc.com entry on Palometa. Retrieved on 2008-04-06.
  6. ^ Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray, 1986. A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
  7. ^ IGFA, 2001. Database of IGFA angling records until 2001. IGFA, Fort Lauderdale, USA.
  8. ^ myfwc.com entry on Palometa. Retrieved on 2008-03-30.
  9. ^ Fishbase.org entry on Palometa. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
  10. ^ Fishbase.org entry on Palometa. Retrieved on 2008-04-02.
  11. ^ myfwc.com entry on Palometa. Retrieved on 2008-03-28.
  12. ^ Journal of Applied Aquaculture Volume: 7 Issue: 2, William M. Cole, James E. Rakocy, Kurt A. Shultz, John A. Hargreaves.
  13. ^ Dammann, A.E., 1969. Study of the fisheries potential of the Virgin Islands. Special Report. Contribution No. 1. Virgin Islands Ecological Research Station.
  14. ^ Fishbase.org entry on Palometa. Retrieved on 2008-04-11.
  15. ^ Monteiro-Neto, C., F.E.A. Cunha, M.C. Nottingham, M.E. Araújo, I.L. Rosa and G.M.L. Barros., 2003. Analysis of the marine ornamental fish trade at Ceará State, northeast Brazil. Biodivers. Conserv. 12:1287-1295.

[edit] External links

[edit] See also