Giant trevally
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Life history
A school of subadult giant trevally in a sandy bay, Hawaii

The giant trevally (ulua) reaches sexual maturity at 54 to 61 cm in length and 3 to 4 years of age, although many authors narrow this down to 60 cm and 3 years of age. Sex ratio estimates from the Hawaiian Islands suggest that the population is slightly skewed toward females, with the male:female ratio being 1:1.39. Spawning occurs during the warmer months in most locations, although the exact dates differ by location. In southern Africa this occurs between July to March, with a peak between November and March; in the Philippines between December and January with a lesser peak during at June; and in Hawaii between April and November with a major peak during May to August. Lunar cycles are also known to control the spawning events, with large schools forming in certain locations at specific phases of the moon in Hawaii and the Solomon Islands. Locations for spawning include reefs, the reef channels and offshore banks. Sampling of schools prior to spawning suggests the fish segregate into schools of only one sex, although the details of this are still unclear. Observations in the natural habitat found spawning occurred during the day immediately after and just before the change of tide when there were no currents. Giant trevally gathered in schools of over 100 individuals, although ripe individuals occurred slightly deeper; around 2 to 3 m above the seabed in groups of 3 to 4, with one silver female being chased by several black males Eventually a pair would sink down to a sandy bottom, where eggs and sperm were released. The fish then diverged and swum away. It appears that that each individual spawns more than once in each period, with only part of the gonads ripe in spawners. Fecundity is not known, although females are known to release several thousand eggs on capture during the spawning process. Eggs are described as pelagic and transparent in nature.

The giant trevally’s early larval stages and their behaviour have been extensively described, with all fins having formed by at least 8 mm of age, with larvae and sub-juveniles being silver with six dark vertical bars. Laboratory populations of fish show a significant variability in the length at a certain age, with the average range being around 6.5 mm. Growth rates in larvae between 8.0 and 16.5 mm are on average 0.36 mm per day. The speed at which larvae swim increases with age from 12 cm/s at 8 mm in length to 40 cm/s at 16.5 mm, with size rather than age a better predictor of this parameter. Size is also a better predictor of endurance in larvae than age. These observations suggest that the species becomes an effective swimmer (is able to swim against a current) at around 7–14 mm. No obvious relationships with age and either swimming depth or trajectory have been found. Larvae appear to also opportunistically feed on small zooplankton while swimming. The larvae actively avoid other large fish, and jellyfish are occasionally used as temporary cover. Larvae have no association with reefs, and appear to prefer to live pelagically. Daily growth is estimated at between 3.82 g/day and 20.87 g/day, with larger fish growing at a more rapid rate. Age at 1 year old is 18 cm, age at 2 years is 35 cm and by 3 years, the fish is around 50 to 60 cm. The use of von Bertalanffy growth curves fitted to observed otolith data shows an individual of around 1 m in length is approximately 8 years old, while a 1.7 m fish would be around 24 years old. The maximum theoretical length of the species predicted by the growth curves is 1.84 m, however the largest reported individual was 1.7 m long. As previously mentioned, as the giant trevally grows it shifts from turbid inshore waters or estuaries to reefs and lagoons in bays, moving finally to outer reefs and atolls. A hybrid of C. ignobilis and C. melampygus (bluefin trevally) has been recorded from Hawaii. The specimen was initially thought to be a bluefin trevally of world record size, however was later rejected when it was discovered to be a hybrid. Initial evidence of hybridisation was morphological characteristics intermediate to the two species, with later genetic tests confirmed that it was indeed a hybrid. It is known the two species school together, including at spawning time, which was considered to be the reason for hybridisation.

seafood, Types of Seafood

Giant trevally
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Diet and feeding
Frontal view of a giant trevally illustrating the compressed form of the species

The giant trevally is a powerful predatory fish, and is an apex predator in most environments; from the estuaries it inhabits as a juvenile to the outer reefs and atolls it patrols as an adult. Hunting appears to occur at different times of the day in different areas of its range; off South Africa it is most active during the day, especially at dawn and dusk, while off Zanzibar and Hong Kong it is said to be nocturnal in its habits. The species diet has been determined in several countries and habitats, with this research finding the diet generally varies slightly between locations and age. In all but one study (which was of juveniles), the giant trevally dominantly takes other fishes, with various crustaceans, cephalopods and occasionally molluscs making the remainder of the diet. In Hawaii the species has a predominantly fish based diet consisting of Scaridae and Labridae, with crustaceans, including lobsters, and cephalopods (squid and octopus) making up the remaining portion of the diet. The large number of reef fishes suggests that it spends much of its time foraging over shallow-water reef habitats, but the presence of squid and the schooling carangid Decapterus macarellus indicates exploitation of more open-water habitats as well. Off Africa the diet is similar, consisting mostly of fish including eels, with minor squid, octopus, mantis shrimps, lobsters and other crustaceans. Younger fish inside Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii showed the only instance when crustaceans were preferred over fish; stomatopods, shrimps and crabs were the most common prey taken at 89% of stomach content by volume, with fish, mostly of the family Blennidae, making up only 7% of the stomach contents. Estuarine fish in both Hawaii and Australia have mostly fish-based diets, with crustaceans such as prawns and amphipods also of importance, and are known to take more novel prey such as spiders and insects in these habitats. There have also been reports of juvenile turtles and dolphins being found within the stomach contents of larger giant trevally. Studies of different size classes of fish have found the diet does change with age in some locations, with the changes relating to an increased volume of fish taken.

Studies in controlled environments on the giant trevally’s feeding strategies have found that hunting in schools increases their capture efficiency, however is not necessary for an individual’s survival. When a school is formed during feeding, one individual will take a leading position, with others trailing behind it. Several individuals will attack the prey school, striking and stunning the prey, with the leading individual generally being more successful. Some individuals act individually and opportunistically within the school if one of the prey fish becomes isolated, with the main advantage of schooling appearing to be the ability to further break up and isolate prey schools. The only time hunting in schools is a disadvantage is when only isolated prey are present, such as close to a reef; here an individual hunter has a greater probability of capturing it than if a group is present. Another hunting strategy of the giant trevally is to ‘escort’ Monk Seals, a behavior which has been observed in the Hawaiian Islands. The trevally swim close by the seal, and when the seal stops to forage, the trevally positions its mouth inches away from the seal. If a prey item is disturbed, the trevally will attempt to steal the prey from the seal, which routinely does occur. The seal does not appear to gain any benefit from this relationship, and it is thought juvenile seals being followed in this way may be outcompeted by the larger fish.[45] A similar strategy has been employed by fish in the presence of large reef sharks, as they use the larger animal as a tool to ambush prey. The opportunistic nature of giant trevally has also been made evident by studies on the mortality rate of undersized or egg-bearing lobsters released from traps at the water’s surface in the Hawaiian Islands. The fish are efficient predators of these crustaceans, with individuals often seizing a lobster before it could sink to the seafloor after being released, or attacking before the lobster moves into a defensive position. Some bolder large individuals are even known to eat the lobster head first when its in a defensive stance.
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seafood, Types of Seafood

Crevalle jack
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Description
Several crevalle jacks over a reef in Florida

The crevalle jack is one of the largest members of Caranx, growing to a known maximum length of 124 cm and a weight of 32 kg, although are generally rare at lengths greater than 60 cm. Unverified reports of fish over 150 cm may also be attributable to this species. The crevalle jack is morphologically similar to a number of other deep bodied carangids, having an elongate, moderately compressed body with the dorsal profile more convex than the ventral profile, particularly anteriorly. The eye is covered by a well-developed adipose eyelid, and the posterior extremity of the jaw is vertically under or past the posterior margin of the eye. The dorsal fin is in two parts, the first consisting of 8 spines and the second of 1 spine followed by 19 to 21 soft rays. The anal fin consists of 2 anteriorly detached spines followed by 1 spine and 16 or 17 soft rays. The pelvic fins contain 1 spine and 5 soft rays while the pectoral fins contain 20 or 21 soft rays. The caudal fin is strongly forked, and the pectoral fins are falcate, being longer than the length of the head. The lateral line has a pronounced and moderately long anterior arch, with the curved section intersecting the straight section midway below the second dorsal fin. The straight section contains 23 to 35 very strong scutes, with bilateral keels present on the caudal peduncle. The chest is devoid of scales with the exception of a small patch of scales in front of the pelvic fins. The upper jaw contains a series of strong outer canines with an inner band of smaller teeth, while the lower jaw contains a single row of teeth. The species has 35 to 42 gill rakers in total and there are 25 vertebrae present.

In 1972, a crevalle jack was caught by fishermen off South Carolina which displayed swollen, bulbous mandibles. These swellings were initially thought to be due to a copepod parasite, however radiographs and subsequent sectioning found them to be bony in nature. The cause of this calcified connective tissue is still unknown, and there remains only a single reported case of such an ailment in crevalle jack.

The crevalle jack’s colour ranges from brassy green to blue or bluish black dorsally, becoming silvery white or golden ventrally. A dark spot is present on the pectoral fin, with a similar dark to dusky spot present on the upper margin of the operculum. Juveniles have around five dark vertical bands on their sides, with these fading at adulthood. The first dorsal fin, pectoral and pelvic fins range from white to dusky, occasionally with golden tinges throughout. The anal fin lobe is bright yellow, with the remainder of the fin ranging from golden to dusky, while the underside of the caudal peduncle often being yellow in adults. The caudal fin itself is also golden to dusky, with the lower lobe often brighter yellow than the upper, with both the lobes often having a black trailing edge.
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seafood, Types of Seafood

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Taxonomy and phylogeny

The crevalle jack is classified within the genus Caranx, one of a number of groups known as the jacks or trevallies. Caranx itself is part of the larger jack and horse mackerel family Carangidae, a group of percoid fishes in the order Perciformes. The species belongs to what William Smith-Vaniz and Ken Carpenter refer to as the Caranx hippos complex, a group of closely related fishes which also includes Caranx caninus (Pacific crevalle jack) and Caranx fischeri (longfin crevalle jack).

The crevalle jack was the first species of its genus to be scientifically described and named, and is also the type species of the genus Caranx. The crevalle jack was described and named in 1766 by the famed Swedish taxonomist Carolus Linnaeus, based on the holotype specimen taken from coast of Carolina, USA. He named the species Scomber hippos, placing it in the mackerel genus Scomber, a practice which was common prior to 1801 when the carangids were not yet recognised as separate from the scombrids. The specific epithet means “horse” in Latin, with Scomber hippos literally translating in English as “horse mackerel”, which has become a common name for many species of carangid. As the state of fish taxonomy progressed, the species was transferred to both Caranx and Carangus, with the name Caranx hippos now accepted. Bernard Germain de Lacépède was the first person to separate the crevalle jack from the mackerels, placing it in its own genus Caranx, although he had redescribed the fish as Caranx carangua, which became the type species of Caranx.[6] As well as Lacepede’s renaming, the species has been independently redescribed a total of six times, with all of these names, including Lacepede’s, categorised as invalid junior synonyms under ICZN rules.

There has been extensive discussion in the scientific literature regarding the possible conspecifity of the Pacific crevalle jack, Caranx caninus, with Caranx hippos. Arguments ranged from the species being conspecific, being subspecific or being individual species. This led to the creation of two trinomial names; Caranx hippos hippos and Caranx hippos tropicus. The former was an attempt to separate the ‘subspecies’ on each side of the Americas while the latter was an unnecessary name to divide the Atlantic Caranx hippos into subspecies. The most recent review of the species complex by Smith-Vaniz and Carpenter treated the fish as separate species, citing differences in the development of hyperostosis and differing anal fin colours as evidence of species status. The species most often used common name of ‘crevalle jack’ (or ‘jack crevalle’) is based on the word ‘cavalla’, an earlier word used for the jacks. Other names include ‘common jack’, ‘black-tailed trevally’, ‘couvalli jack’, ‘black cavalli’, ‘yellow cavalli’ and a host of generic names such as ‘horse mackerel’ and ‘crevalle’.
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seafood, Types of Seafood

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The crevalle jack, Caranx hippos (also known as the common jack, black-tailed trevally, couvalli jack, black cavalli and yellow cavalli) is a common species of large marine fish classified within the jack family, Carangidae. The crevalle jack is distributed across the tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean, ranging from Nova Scotia, Canada to Uruguay in the west Atlantic and Portugal to Angola in the east Atlantic, including the Mediterranean Sea. The crevalle jack is distinguishable from similar species by its deep body, fin colouration and a host of more detailed anatomical features including fin ray and lateral line scale counts. It is one of the largest fish in the genus Caranx, growing to a maximum known length of 124 cm and a weight of 32 kg, although is rare at lengths greater than 60 cm. The crevalle jack inhabits both inshore and offshore waters to depths of around 350 m, predominantly over reefs, bays, lagoons and occasionally estuaries. Young fish dispersed north by currents in the eastern Atlantic are known to migrate back to more tropical waters before the onset of winter; however if the fish fail to migrate, mass mortalities occur as the temperature falls below the species tolerance limits.

The crevalle jack is a powerful predatory fish, with extensive studies showing the species consumes a variety of small fish, with invertebrates such as prawns, shrimps, crabs, molluscs and cephalopods also of minor importance. Dietary shifts with both age, location and season have been demonstrated, which led some researchers to postulate the species is indiscriminant in its feeding habits. The crevalle jack reaches maturity at 55 cm in males and 66 cm in females, with spawning taking place year round, although peaks in activity have been documented in several sites. The larval and juvenile growth has been extensively studied, with the oldest known individual 17 years of age. The crevalle jack is an important species to commercial fisheries throughout its range, with annual catches ranging between 1000 and 30 000 tonnes over its entire range. It is taken by a variety of netting methods including purse nets, seines and gill nets as well as hook and line methods. The crevalle jack is also a revered gamefish, taken both by lures and bait. The species is considered of good to poor quality table fair is sold fresh, frozen, preserved or as fishmeal or oil at market. The crevalle jack is closely related to both the Pacific crevalle jack and the longfin crevalle jack, the latter of which has been extensively confused with the true crevalle jack until recently.
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seafood, Types of Seafood

Wahoo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) is a scombrid fish found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas. It is best known to sports fishermen, as its speed and high-quality flesh make it a prize game fish. In Hawaii, the wahoo is known as ono. Many Hispanic areas of the Caribbean and Central America refer to this fish as peto.
Contents

1 Description
2 Biology
3 Commercial and sports fisheries
Description

The body is elongated and covered with small, scarcely visible scales; the back is an iridescent blue, while the sides are silvery, with a pattern of irregular vertical blue bars and have razor sharp teeth.These colors fade rapidly at death. The mouth is large, and both the upper and lower jaws have a somewhat sharper appearance than those of king or Spanish mackerel. Specimens have been recorded at up to 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) in length, and weighing up to 83 kilograms (180 lb). Growth can be rapid. One specimen tagged at 5 kilograms (11 lb) grew to 15 kg (33 lb) in one year. Wahoo can swim up to 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph), (Firestein and Walters, 1969[citation needed]). They are one of the fastest fish in the sea.

The wahoo may be distinguished from the related Atlantic king mackerel and from the Indo-Pacific Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel by a fold of skin which covers the mandible when its mouth is closed. In contrast, the mandible of the king mackerel is always visible as is also the case for the smaller Spanish mackerel and Cero mackerel. The teeth of the wahoo are similar to those of king mackerel, but shorter and more closely set together.

The barracuda is sometimes confused with mackerel and wahoo, but is easy to distinguish from the latter two species. Barracuda have prominent scales, larger, dagger-like teeth, and lack the caudal keels and blade-like tail characteristic of the scombrid (mackerel/tuna/seerfish) family of fish.

The origin of the name “wahoo” is not definitely known. One theory holds that European explorers found the fish in abundance near the Hawaiian island of Oahu, the name of which was rendered on maps at the time as “Wahoo.”
Biology

Wahoo tend to be solitary or occur in loose-knit groups of two or three fish, but where conditions are suitable can be found in schools as large as 100 or more. Their diet is made up of other fish and squid.

Most wahoo taken have a trematode parasite (Hirudinella ventricosa) living in their stomach, which does not appear to harm the fish.
Commercial and sports fisheries

The flesh of the wahoo is white, delicate, and highly regarded by many gourmets; indeed the Hawai’ian name for the fish, Ono, is also the Hawai’ian word for “tasty” or “delicious”. This has created some demand for the wahoo as a premium priced commercial food fish. In many areas of its range, such as Hawaii, Bermuda and many parts of the Caribbean, local demand for wahoo is met by artisanal commercial fishermen, who take them primarily by trolling, as well as by recreational sports fishermen who sell their catch.

Although local wahoo populations can be affected by heavy commercial and sports fishing pressure, wahoo as a species are less susceptible to industrial commercial fishing than more tightly schooling and abundant species such as tuna. Wahoo are regularly taken as a by-catch in various commercial fisheries, including longline fisheries for tuna, billfish and dolphinfish (a.k.a. mahi-mahi or dorado) and in tuna purse seine fisheries — especially in sets made around floating objects, which act as a focal point for a great deal of other marine life besides tuna — but the species as a whole is not considered overfished.

In most parts of its range, the wahoo is a highly prized sport fishing catch. It reaches a good size, is often available not too far from land, and is a very good fighter on light to medium tackle. It is known in sports fishing circles for the speed and strength of its first run. The aggressive habits and razor-sharp teeth of the wahoo can however be of considerable annoyance when targeting larger gamefish, as when tuna or marlin fishing.

seafood, Types of Seafood

Contents
1 Description
2 Similar species
3 Distribution and habitat
4 Feeding habits
5 Life history
6 Migration patterns
7 Utilization
8 Aquaculture
Cobia (Rachycentron canadum)—also known as black kingfish, black salmon, ling, lemonfish, crabeaters, aruan tasek, etc.—are perciform marine fish, the sole representative of their family, the Rachycentridae.

Description

Attaining a maximum length of 2 metres (78 inches) and maximum weight of 68 kilograms (150 pounds), cobia have elongate fusiform (spindle shaped) bodies and broad, flattened heads. Their eyes are small and their lower jaw projects slightly past the upper jaw. On the jaws, tongue and roof of the mouth are bands of villiform (fibrous) teeth. Their bodies are smooth with small scales, their dark brown coloration grading to white on the belly with two darker brown horizontal bands on the flanks. These may not be prominent except during spawning when cobia lighten in colour and adopt a more prominently striped pattern. The large pectoral fins are normally carried horizontally (rather than vertically as shown for convenience in the illustration), so that, as seen in the water they may be mistaken for a small shark. When boated, the horizontal pectoral fins enable the cobia to remain upright so that their vigorous thrashing can make them a hazard. The first dorsal fin is composed of six to nine independent, short, stout, and sharp spines. The family name Rachycentridae, from the Greek words rhachis meaning “spine” and kentron meaning “sting,” is an allusion to these dorsal spines. Mature cobia have forked, slightly lunate tail fins with most fins being a dark brown. They lack air bladders.
Similar species
A Cobia at an aquarium, showing the horizontal pectoral fins and broad head

Cobia somewhat resemble and are most closely related to the Remora of the family Echeneidae. However, they lack the dorsal sucker of the Remora, their body is far stouter and their tail is far more developed, and forked instead of rounded. Juvenile cobia are patterned with conspicuous bands of black and white. Their tails are rounded rather than forked as in the adults.
Distribution and habitat

Cobia are pelagic and are normally solitary except for annual spawning aggregations; however, they will congregate at reefs, wrecks, harbours, buoys and other structural oases. They may also enter estuaries and mangroves in search of prey.

They are found in warm-temperate to tropical waters of the West and East Atlantic, throughout the Caribbean and in the Indo-Pacfic off India, Australia and Japan.[1] The largest taken on rod & reel was taken from Shark Bay, Australia weighing 60 kg (135 lb). They are able to tolerate a wide range of temperatures (eurythermal) and salinity (euryhaline) between 1.6 and 32.2°C and 5-44.5 ppt in the environment.
Feeding habits

Cobia feed primarily on crabs, squid, and other fish. Cobia will follow larger animals such as sharks, turtles and manta rays in hope of scavenging a meal. Cobia are intensely curious fish and show no fear of boats and are known to follow other caught fish up to a boat and linger to see the action. Their predators are not well documented, but the dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) is known to feed on immature cobia. Shortfin mako sharks are known to feed on adult cobia and have been seen by fishermen following cobia during their annual springtime migration in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
Life history

Cobia are pelagic spawners; that is, they release many tiny (1.2 mm) buoyant eggs into the water which become part of the plankton. The eggs float freely with the currents until hatching. The larvae are also planktonic, being more or less helpless during their first week until the eyes and mouths develop. Males mature at two years and females at three years. Both sexes lead moderately long lives of 15 years or more. Spawning takes place diurnally from April to September in large offshore congregations where females are capable of spawning up to 30 times during the season. Up to 20 individual spawns may take place in one season, with intervals of about one to two weeks. Cobia are frequently parasitized by nematodes, trematodes, cestodes, copepods and acanthocephalans.
Migration patterns

Cobia make seasonal migrations along the coasts in search of water in their preferred temperature range. Wintering in the Gulf of Mexico, they migrate north as far as Maryland in the Summer, passing East Central Florida in March.
Utilization

Cobia are sold commercially, and command a high price for their firm texture and excellent flavor. However, there is no directed fishery owing to their solitary nature. They have been farmed in aquaculture for this reason. The meat is usually sold fresh. They are typically served in the form of grilled or poached fillets. Chefs Jamie Oliver and Mario Batali each cooked several dishes made with cobia in the “Battle Cobia” episode of the Food Network program Iron Chef America, which first aired in January 2008. Thomas Keller’s French Laundry offers Cobia on its tasting menu.
Aquaculture
Cobia fingerlings in aquaculture
Main article: Aquaculture of cobia

Cobia, Rachycentron canadum, is considered one of the most suitable candidates for warm, open-water marine fish aquaculture in the world. Their rapid growth rate in aquaculture, as well as the high quality of the flesh makes cobia potentially one of the most important marine fish for future aquaculture production.

Currently, cobia are being cultured in nurseries and grow-out offshore cages many parts of Asia and off the coast of US, Mexico and Panama. In Taiwan 100–600 g cobia are cultured for 1–1.5 years to reach 6–8 kg in size which is suitable for export to Japan. Currently, around 80% of marine cages in Taiwan are devoted to cobia culture. In 2004, FAO reported that 80.6% of the world’s cobia production was by primarily China and Taiwan.FAO After China and Taiwan, Vietnam is the third largest producer of farmed cobia in the world where production was estimated at 1500 tonnes in 2008. Following the success of cobia aquaculture in Taiwan, emerging technology is being used to demonstrate the viability of raising hatchery-reared cobia in collaboration with the private sector primarily using SeaStation™ and Aquapod™ submerged cages at exposed offshore sites in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.

Greater depths, stronger currents and distance from shore all act to reduce environmental impacts often associated with fin fish aquaculture. Offshore cage systems could become some of the most environmentally sustainable methods for commercial marine fish aquaculture. However, some problems still exist in cobia culture that needs to be addressed and solved for increasing production. These include high mortality due to stress during transport from nursery tanks or inshore cages out to grow-out cages. Also diseases during nursery and growout culture can result in low survival, and consequently poor harvest.
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seafood, Types of Seafood

White croaker (Genyonemus lineatus) is a species of croaker occurring in the Eastern Pacific. White croakers have been taken from Magdalena Bay, Baja California, to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, but are not abundant north of San Francisco. White croakers swim in loose schools at or near the bottom of sandy areas. Sometimes they aggregate in the surf zone or in shallow bays and lagoons. Most of the time they are found in offshore areas at depths of 3 to 30 meters (10 to 100 feet). On rare occasions they are fairly abundant at depths as great as 200 meters (600 feet).

The white croaker is the only species of in the genus Genyonemus. Other common names for the fish include Pasadena trout, tommy croaker, and little bass.
Contents

1 Description
2 Fishing information
3 Cuisine

[edit] Description
Genyonemus lineatus mspc103.gif

The body of the white croaker is elongate and somewhat compressed. The head is oblong and bluntly rounded, with a mouth that is somewhat underneath the head. The color is incandescent brownish to yellowish on the back becoming silvery below. The fins are yellow to white. The white croaker is one of five California croakers that have mouths located under their heads (subterminal). They can be distinguished from the California corbina and yellowfin croaker by the absence of a single fleshy projection, or barbel, at the tip of the lower jaw. The 12 to 15 spines in the first dorsal fin serve to distinguish white croakers from all the other croakers with sub-terminal mouths, since none of these has more than 11 spines in this fin.

White croakers eat a variety of fishes, squid, shrimp, octopus, worms, small crabs, clams and other items, either living or dead. While the ages of white croakers have not been determined conclusively, it is thought that some live as long as 15 or more years. Some spawn for the first time when they are between 2 and 3 years old. At this age they are only 12 to 15 cm (5 to 6 inches) long and weigh less than 45 grams (0.10 pound). Also have barbels on the lower lip. The largest recorded specimen was 41.4 cm (16.3 inches), no weight recorded; however, a 36.8 cm (14.5 in) white croaker weighed 640 grams (1 lb 6½ oz).
Fishing information

These fish can be caught on almost any kind of animal bait that is fished from piers or jetties in sandy or sandy mud areas. In fact, they are so easily hooked that most anglers consider them a nuisance of the worst sort. If a person desires to fish specifically for white croakers a tough, difficult-to-steal bait, such as squid, is recommended. When hooked, they put up little or no fight. Fishing and catching is good throughout the year.
Cuisine

White croaker meat has been used as a co-ingredient in creating Crab stick.
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Boston Seafood

Scomberomorus commerson, is a mackerel of the Scombridae family. It is found in a wide ranging area centering in South-east Asia but as far west as the east coast of Africa and from the Middle East and along the northern coastal areas of the Indian Ocean, and as far east as Fiji in the South West Pacific ocean. They are common down both sides of Australia as far south as Perth on the west coast and Sydney on the east coast. They are also found as far north as China and even Japan.
Contents

1 Description
2 Distribution/habitat
3 Life
4 Feeding habits
5 Fishing gear and methods
6 Some Common Names

Description

They are vivid blue to dark grey in colour along their backs and flanks that fades to a silvery blue grey on the belly. Spanish mackerel have scores of narrow, vertical lines down the sides. Spanish mackerel are the largest of all Australian mackerels growing to approximately 200cm and up to 70 kg.
Distribution/habitat

It is found in a wide ranging area centering in South-east Asia but as far west as the east coast of Africa and from the Middle East and along the northern coastal areas of the Indian Ocean, and as far east as Fiji in the South West Pacific ocean. They are common down both sides of Australia as far south as Perth on the west coast and Sydney on the east coast. They are also found as far north as China and even Japan.
Life

Spanish mackerel spawn in oceanic conditions on reef edges. Eggs have a large oil droplet that aids in buoyancy and keeps them at the top of the water column which is warmer, well oxygenated and has an abundant planktonic food supply for the larvae once they are hatched. It is believed that when in the larval stage, Spanish mackerel stay in their own species-specific groups and are not normally found with other mackerel larvae species of the same genus, such as S. semifasciatus and S. queenslandicus. This is not always the case with adult mackerel where occasional mixing of different species within the same genus can occur.

Spawning is seasonal but it is protracted in the warmer waters of the tropics. Many of the fisheries that target this species are based on pre-spawning feeding aggregations. A significant proportion of the female fish caught in NT waters between July and December have either recently spawned or are close to spawning (Buckworth and Clark 2001). In general, spawning times for Spanish mackerel tend to be associated with higher water temperatures that promote optimal food availability for the rapid growth and development of the larvae (Jenkins et al. 1985). As the young larvae grow they move from the offshore spawning grounds to inshore and estuarine habitats where they are frequently found in the juvenile phase of their growth cycle. In the inshore environment they feed mostly on the larvae and juveniles of small fish and crustaceans until they become large enough to tackle small fish and squid (McPherson 1988). Australian studies of this species suggest that females are larger than males (McPherson 1992; Buckworth 1998; Mackie et al. 2003). Female Spanish mackerel mature at about two years of age or at around 80 cm in length.
Feeding habits

Spanish mackerel are voracious, opportunistic, carnivores. As with other members of the genus, food consists mainly of small fishes with lesser quantities of shrimp and squid.
fishing gear and methods
Young angler with an average sized Spanish Mackerel off Darwin, Northern Territory Australia

Spanish mackerel are a highly valued fish throughout their range in the Indo West Pacific. Recreational anglers catch Spanish mackerel from boats while trolling or drifting and from boats, piers, jetties, and beaches by casting spoons and jigs and live-bait fishing. Commercial methods are primarily run-around gill netting, and rarely, by trolling lures similar to those used by recreational anglers.
Some Common Names

Worldwide: Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel. South Africa: King Mackerel, Couta, Cuda. Australia: Narrow-bar, Narrowbarred mackerel, Snook, Spaniard, Spanish mackerel. USA: Barred mackerel, Narrowbarred mackerel, Striped Seer Arabia: Kanaad, Kanad or Kana’d
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seafood, Types of Seafood

The kingcroakers (formerly “kingfish”) are a genus Menticirrhus of the family Sciaenidae.
Contents

1 Species
2 Fishing for Kingcroakers
3 Cooking Kingcroakers
4 References

Species

Menticirrhus americanus – Southern Kingfish: This species grows to 20 inches (51 cm) in length. Seven to eight dark bands mark the sides which shade from dusky above to almost white on the belly. They are found from the Western Caribbean Sea to Cape Cod and most of South and Central America’s east coast, over sand or mud in depths of at least 5 feet (1.5 m). This species is prized for its flesh, and is fished both commercially and recreationally.

Menticirrhus littoralis – Gulf Kingfish: The body is silvery in color and occurs in the surf zone from the Gulf of Mexico to Florida. In all other respects it is similar to M. americanus.

Menticirrhus saxatilis – Northern Kingfish: The size, habits, range and fishery is similar to M. americanus. The coloration is the same too, except for a dark V-shaped mark on the shoulder.

Menticirrhus undulatus – California Corbina
Fishing for Kingcroakers
Kingfish caught from the Great South Bay.

Though not as highly prized for sport as other fish may be, kingcroakers (also known as whiting in Florida and sea mullet in North Carolina) have the ability to pull out some little, zippy runs. Most specimens that are caught are half a pound or less, but some can reach one or even two pounds. Kingcroakers are most often caught in the surf, but are sometimes found off piers near inlets or in bays. Good lures include small jigs, small spoons, and small plastics. The bait fisherman is best suited with sand fleas or molecrabs, which can be bought frozen at almost any tackle shop or caught live on the beach (look for Vs in the sand pointing towards shore when a wave starts to recede, and start digging a couple inches until you feel a sand flea). Cut shrimp is a close second. In Long Island, New York Great South Bay area; Cap Tree State Park, these fish are simply known as “King Fish.” They average in size from 12 inches to 14 inches. Clams seem to be the best bait to catch them.
Cooking Kingcroakers

Most Kingcroakers are too small to fillet, so pan-dressing them is usually the way to go. When big enough they produce mild, but good fillets. A fish fry is best suited for these fish.

seafood, Types of Seafood