Longfin yellowtail

The longfin yellowtail (Seriola rivoliana), also known as the almaco or silvercoat jack, deep-water, falcate, European or highfin amberjack, rock salmon, longfin or yellow kingfish, is a game fish of the family Carangidae; they are in the same family as yellowtail and amberjack. They are carnivorous and feed, both day and night, on other, smaller fish, such as baitfish, small squid, octopus, crab and shrimp. The flesh is thick and dense, like tuna, and easily may be passed off for white albacore if prepared as sushi.

Distribution

The longfin yellowtail is a pelagic species, which are found in open-ocean zones in the vast deep waters beyond the continental shelf. This species may be found in small groups on slopes and off reefs at depths from 5 to 160 m. They visit wrecks more often than most other jacks do. In the Indian to the west Pacific oceans, almaco jack live from Kenya to South Africa and have been spotted off Mariana Islands, Wake Island, Ryukyu Islands, Kermadec Islands, and New Caledonia. In the eastern Pacific, almaco jack live from California to Peru and the Galápagos Islands. In the western Atlantic, they live mostly from Cape Cod to northern Argentina, although they are rare off North and South Carolina. In the Northeast Atlantic it is known from the Azores

, Madeira, and mainland Portugal, though it has also been reported in southern England and in the Gulf of Biscay. Recorded first in 2000 in the Mediterranean Sea, near Lampedusa islands (Italy), more recent but sparse records are reported from the Balearic Islands to the Gulf of Gabès.-

They typically swim at depths ranging from 5–35 metres (16–115 ft).

Behaviour

The unusual stamina of the longfin yellowtail makes them a prime target for sport fishing in deep waters.

Almaco jack are subject to skin-based parasites. They remove them by rubbing against the rough skin of passing sharks. They are known to rub against passing scuba divers also, because they mistake them for sharks.

These fish spawn as often as weekly throughout the year.