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Species: Coryphaena equiselis, Pompano Dolphinfish

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

body height > 25% SL
Juv: C all border white; pelvic clear
tongue tooth patch large, square
pectoral < 1/2 head
A: front margin convex

Coryphaena equiselis Linnaeus, 1758

Pompano Dolphinfish

Elongate compressed body; maximum height > ¼ of SL; adult males with a bony crest on the forehead, and a near-vertical front snout profile; mouth large; numerous small teeth in bands on jaws; patch of teeth on tongue wide and square; dorsal and anal fins without spines; a long-based dorsal fin 48-55 rays extending from the nape almost to the tail fin; a long-based anal fin with convex anterior border, extending nearly to the tail fin; no isolated finlets behind the dorsal or anal fins; pectoral fins ~ ½ head length; pelvics short, fitting into groove on the belly; a large, deeply forked tail fin; small smooth scales; no hard spiny scales (scutes) on lateral line; lateral line with a sharp curve over pectorals.

Upper body bright metallic blue-green in life, grey with green reflections in death; flanks with golden reflections and numerous black spots; in juveniles juveniles tail has entire border white; pelvics unpigmented.

Size: reaches 86 cm.

Habitat: an oceanic pelagic species.

Depth: 0-119 m.

A circumtropical species; Nova Scotia to Brazil.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • In & Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Offshore
Water Column Position
  • Mid Water
  • Near Surface
  • Surface
  • Water column only
Habitat
  • Water column
  • Flotsam
FishBase Habitat
  • Pelagic
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Bony fishes
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
  • Pelagic crustacea
Egg Type
  • Data
  • No pelagic phase
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Circumtropical ( Indian + Pacific + Atlantic Oceans)
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Also in Brazil
  • Continent
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Extends N + S of GC
  • Extends North of GC
  • Extends South of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • Island (s)
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 86
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 119