| 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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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]
Palometa prefer clear, tropical water of sandy shores and bays. They are also known to swim in small shoals above coral reefs.[5] 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.[4]
Little is known about the reproduction of the Palometa. They are thought to spawn far offshore during all seasons, save winter.[8] Young Palometa have shown high growth rates in maricultural experiments.[9]
Though there have been reports of ciguatera poisoning,[10] the Palometa is considered primarily a game fish. Although it is used in aquaculture[11] , there are only two known cases of Palometa being traded as aquarium fish between 1995 and 2000. Both reports came from Fortaleza, Ceará (Brazil),[12] but Palometa are rarely used for any other purpose than as a gamefish.