Species: Seriola zonata, Banded Rudderfish Amberjack, Banded rudderfish
A base 48-63% of D2 base
Seriola zonata (Mitchill, 1815)
Banded rudderfish
Elongate, fusiform, compressed; snout long, pointed; bone on top of rear of top jaw moderately broad, with rounded tip, reaching to under rear edge of eye; gill rakers (excluding rudiments) 20-25 in juveniles <10 cm FL, 12-17 in larger fish; dorsal fin VIII (last imbedded in large fish) + I, 33-39; anal rays II (reduced or completely embedded in large fish) + I, 19-21, its base much shorter than (48-63% of) soft dorsal base; soft dorsal and anal fin lobes low, height of dorsal lobe ~14% fork length); no finlets after 2nd dorsal and anal fins; pectoral short (< head length); tail base slender; grooves present on dorsal and ventral surface , but no lateral fleshy keel; tail strongly forked; lateral line with slight arch over pectoral region; no scutes (hard spiny scales) on lateral line.
Blue grey to olive above, silvery below; usually an oblique dark band from eye to origin of dorsal fin; often an amber stripe from eye along flank; dorsal fin dark, faint white edge on second fin; anal fin with white lobe and white edge, rest of fin dark; tail fin dark, narrow lighter rear border, lower tip often light or white. Juveniles (up to 20 cm) with dark stripe from eye to dorsal fin origin, plus 6 dark solid bars, 3rd-5th extend onto dorsal and anal fins.
Size: attains 78 cm, 5.2 kg.
Habitat: pelagic and near bottom over the shelf.
Depth: 3-360 m; large fish usually at 18-72 m.
Maine to Brazil.
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- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Bottom + water column
- Surface
- Near Surface
- Mid Water
- Near Bottom
- Habitat
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- Water column
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Bentho-Pelagic
- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
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- Data
- Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Data
- Global Endemism
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- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- All species.
- Regional Endemism
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- GC non-endemic
- Continent
- Extends North of GC
- Continental primarily
- Extends South of GC
- Extends N + S of GC
- Also in Brazil
- All species..
- Continent + Island (s)
- Island (s)
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Temperate (>35N)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 78
- Depth Range Min
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- 3
- Depth Range Max
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- 360
