FWC Fish ID - Jack Family

Steep and blunt forehead

long trail off the begining of the dorsal fin

Above lateral line dark gray and below silvery

front half of lateral line is strongly arched

African Pompano

Dark streak that runs diagonally through eye

faint amber/yellow line from eye to caudal fin

green olivey dorsal color and pale below

mouth reaches only 1/4th of the eye

Almaco Jack

Tear-drop shaped body

silver color with yellow dorsalish color and caudal and anal fins

Black saddle at base of tail

Tiny black area at edge of opercle

Atlantic Bumper

Steep head profile

Similar shape to a lookdown but, the body is more elongated

Yellow causal fin

Front rays of dirsak and anal not elongate

Atlantic Moonfish

Upper jaw reaches the end of the eye

body is elongated more torpedo shaped

Gray/black dorsal color with yellow band and pale below

Gray/black color caudal fin with pale margins

Banded Rudderfish

Pale grayish green above with silver under

A blackish band runs along the dorsal profile through the caudal peduncles and into the lower caudal fin lobe

Bar Jack

Very disproportionate big eye

metallic bluish to bluish green dorsal color with silver below

Small black blotch on opercular margin

Scutes only on rear lateral line

Bigeye Scad

Entirely blackish or dark gray color (can have pale underneath)

Fins are darker than the body

Steep forehead

Jaw extends to middle of the eyes

Black Jack

The tips of tail fin are dark

Spot on opercle

Variabel color: dark olive/bluish above and silvery to brassy below

lateral like is arched and does not reach tip of pectoral fin

Blue runner

Small mouth

blunt snout

Yellow caudal tail with a blackish tip on the upper lobe

Bluish green dorsally with silver below

Bluntnose Jack

The body is an oval shape

Silvery-grayish or brownish gray to bluish black or dusky

narrow dark semicircular mark at the base of the pectoral fin

Scutes with spines that point forward on the lateral line end by the tail

Cottonmouth Jack

Greenish, bluish on the back to a silver golden below

Black spot near top of the gill cover

Black blotch on lower pectoral rin rays

Jaw goes back beyond the rear of the eye

Crevalle Jack

Silver color with a yellow underbelly

yellow anal and caudal fins

spinous first dorsal very low

fleshy keel on caudal peduncle

Florida Pompano

Jaw reaches mid-pupil and is rounded

Bluish brown to olivey dorsal color with silver below with a dark band from eyes to orssal origin

faint amber stripe down the side

fleshy keel on each side

Greater Amberjack

Large eye

dark near black cutes (going toward tail)

Caudal fin is yellowish

Blackish blotch at the edge of the opercle

Horse-eye Jack

Siler body

caudal fin is yellowish- colorless

Jaws are narrow and extended to the end of the eye

lateral line is almost straight

short pectoral fins

Leatherjack

jaw reaches the anterior of the pupil

dark stripe crosses nape (forehead) and into the front of the dorsal fin

The eyes are relatively large

dark dusky pinkish to dusky violet dorsal color with faint amber stripe on sides from eyes to caudal

young have 7dark brown bands

Lesser Amberjack

iridescent silver color

gigantic forehead

extremely blunt head

very compressed body

Young will have streamer-like front of the dorsal spine and pelvic fin, they get shorter when adult, but both have a blackish outline

Lookdown

Blue/black dorsal color going into green, then white ventral color

cigar-shaped body

black spot at the upper edge of the gill plate

The lateral line is slightly arched at front

caudal fin is yellow ot green/yellow

Mackerel Scad

Front lobes of dorsal and anall fins are black and elongated

leading edges of the caudal fin are blackish

Four roughly narrow dark or pale body bars on sides

silvery with blue or gold tinted color

Palometa

The head profile and snout are rounded

anal and caudal fin lobes are blackish

dark pectoral fin, orangish are at the start of the anal

silvery metallic color with some golden areas and can ahbe gray or black smudges on sides

Permit

Slender body

5-7 black bars that encircle the body

caudal is black with white tips

pectoral, pelvic and caudal fins are black

Pilotfish

two blue stripes that are full length of body

greenish to yellow stripe from snout to caudal fin

dark blue or light blue with drak green dorsally to white ventrally

small mouth

dorsal and anal finlets

Rainbow Runner

Caudal fin red

Blue/black color at the dorsal to a metallic blue, then white ventrally

tip of anterior fin is red

small black dot on upper opercular margin

Redtail Scad

greatly enlarged scutes along the entire lateral line

pale to dark blue to bluish green dorsally to white below

caudal is colorless and dusky on margins

black spot on opercular margin

Rough Scad

The lateral line is very arched with small black spots on the curved portion

greenish dorsally with whitish yellow below

yellow caudal fin

enlarged scutes on the base of the tail

small black spot on opercule

round scad

yellow lower caudal

underparts yellow

body silvery greenish blue with yellow

The dorsal profile is yellowish and all fins have a yellow cast/hue — body is otherwise unmarked

Yellow Jack