Species: Seriola zonata, Banded Rudderfish, Banded Rudderfish Amberjack

Seriola zonata (Mitchill, 1815)

Banded Rudderfish, Banded Rudderfish Amberjack

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.