Species: Hemicaranx amblyrhynchus, Bluntnose Jack

Hemicaranx amblyrhynchus (Cuvier in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1833)

Bluntnose Jack

Body an elongate, compressed oval; short, blunt snout; eye small; small mouth, top jaw reaches under eye; both jaws with a single row of comb-like, small teeth; gill rakers (excluding rudiments) 7-10 + 18-23; no papillae on edge of shoulder immediately after gill chamber; dorsal rays VII+I, 2-26; anal rays II+I, 21-26; no finlets behind dorsal and anal fins; pectoral fins longer than head; tail base slender; tail strongly forked, top lobe elongate in adults; no branch of lateral line along besides base of dorsal fin; straight rear part (but not curved front part) of lateral line with 38-56 well developed scutes (large, hard, spiny scales); most of body with small but easily visible scales.

Deep bluish green on upper half, lower sides and belly silvery; a black blotch on operculum; dorsal fin margin and upper tail lobe black; juveniles have 4-5 dark bars on the side.

Size: attains 50 cm.

Habitat: pelagic, common inshore, juveniles entering brackish water.

Depth: 0-50 m, adults at deeper part of range.

N Carolina to Brazil.