Species: Scomberesox saurus saurus, Atlantic saury
Scomberesox saurus saurus (Walbaum, 1792)
Atlantic saury
Body elongate, fusiform, compressed, tapering at both ends; upper and lower jaws prolonged into a beak, lower jaw projecting; teeth small, pointed; 34-45 gill rakers; pelvic fins at center of body; dorsal and anal fins small, at rear of body, origin of dorsal behind that of anal, orsal 9-12 + finlets, anal 12-13 plus finlets, both fins followed by 5-6 separate finlets; tail fin strongly forked, symmetrical; body covered with small scales, patch of scales on operculum; scales before dorsal fin 73-81.
Olive green above; side of body with a silver stripe at eye level; a dark green spot above the base of each pectoral fin; dorsal fin greenish; lower body silvery, with gold tones. Young have dark blue backs and silver sides.
Reaches 85 cm.
Lives in offshore surface waters.
Depth range: 0-30 m.
Antitropical in temperate areas of all three oceans. The subspecies restricted to the N Atlantic and Mediterranean enters the northern part of our region.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- Offshore Only
- Offshore
- Water Column Position
-
- Water column only
- Surface
- Near Surface
- Habitat
-
- Water column
- FishBase Habitat
-
- Pelagic
- Feeding Group
-
- Data
- Carnivore
- Planktivore
- Diet
-
- Zooplankton
- Bony fishes
- Pelagic jellyfish/ctenophores
- Pelagic fish larvae
- Data
- Egg Type
-
- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
-
- Circumtropical ( Indian + Pacific + Atlantic Oceans)
- All species.
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
-
- GC non-endemic
- Continent + Island (s)
- All species..
- Island (s)
- Extends North of GC
- Continent
- Residency
-
- Resident
- Climate Zone
-
- Temperate (>35N)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
-
- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
-
- 85
- Depth Range Min
-
- 0
- Depth Range Max
-
- 30
