Species: Caranx lugubris, Black Jack
head profile steep, angular
Caranx lugubris Poey, 1860
Black Jack
Body deep, oblong, compressed; head profile steep and angular; top jaw reaching to under center of eye; top jaw with an outer row of strong canines and an inner band of fine teeth; lower jaw with one row of teeth; 18-21 lower gill rakers; margin of body at rear of gill chamber without papillae; pectoral fins longer than head; dorsal (VIII + I, 20-22) and anal (II+I, 16-19), front lobes of both fins long and pointed; no finlets after 2nd dorsal and anal fins; tail base slender; tail strongly forked; straight rear part (but not curved front part) of lateral line with 26-32 scutes (large, hard spiny scales; tail base with a pair of keels on each side.
Body and fins mostly uniform dark grey to black; small dark spot on upper corner of gill opening; scutes often black.
Size: grows to 100 cm; IGFA world record is 17.9 kg.
Habitat: found in clear waters; typically seen on reefs surrounding offshore islands.
Depth: 3-380 m.
Circumtropical distribution; N Carolina to Brazil.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Bottom + water column
- Mid Water
- Near Bottom
- Habitat
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- Rocks
- Water column
- Corals
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Bentho-Pelagic
- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Planktivore
- Diet
-
- Data
- Zooplankton
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
-
- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Circumtropical ( Indian + Pacific + Atlantic Oceans)
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Transisthmian (East Pacific + Atlantic of Central America)
- Regional Endemism
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- 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
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Temperate (>35N)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 100
- Depth Range Min
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- 3
- Depth Range Max
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- 380
