ID help pls.

[anton]

Hi all,
Went out 2 days ago and am having trouble with ID of a fish so I need some help seeing how my fish id sucks really bad on a good day. The one on the right is a blackfin scad [Alepes melanoptera] I think (and was tasty).

The other was similar to an Orange-Spotted Trevally [Carangoides bajad] or a Yellow Spotted Trevally [ Carangoides fulvoguttas] but without the orange/yellow spots. The tail was definitely yellow though. The thing that confused me was (we got 3 of these) the meat was all red and tuna-like in consistency, appearance, and it even tasted like a type of tuna... ??? (very tasty)

About the fish:
They were VERY lively, and hard fighters. These were taken in 12-15 m but they were schooling in groups of 40-60 fish in water from 12m down to max depth of 35m (this was a largish wreck). They all weighed between ... 6.5 KG (the one pictured here) and about 11/12 kg.

...needless to say 40-60 of these coming at 2 guys who are bored and about to call it a day got the adrenaline going

 

[Nesim]

Hi Anton

i landed a few of them as well.... I dont know thier name iether, but they appear in Musandam between April and july, usually swim with Horse Eye Jacks, both fish have very red meat,

they are so plentiful here that we target practice on them and try and spear 3 at a time to make it a bit more challenging...

I look forward to the fish ID

N.

 

[Nesim]

Just re read my thread, It sounds like i was undermining you,,,, sorry, that was not the intention, all i was trying to say is that they show up in schools in hundreds in very close formation, and once they are ignored, they get real close !!!! and thats when we target practice for fun !!!

 

[anton]

no problem, i understand and they do come in THICK don't they??? although I cannot imagine more than one on a line I hit this one using my totemsub but have also hit recently with a Riffe C4 and without a stone-shot, they really turn up the horsepower!

 

[Nesim]

yeah i know, tell me about it, but the good thing is when you get 2 on the line, they tend to swim opposite directions, and when that happens they both tire oneanother out without putting up too much of a fight...... now just imagine, they stop and think for a second and swimm in the same direction,,,, :ko

 

[anton]

awe come on. I can't believe that with all the db spearos out there, no one knows what that 6.5 kg fish on the left is!

 

[Alison]

Not a clue! I dont even recognise it.
Have you tried that fishbase place? LOL you two could be shooting a new species to science rofl

 

[shaneshac]

On his left or ours??

The one on the left of the photo is an Amber Jack

They grow to 100kilos so keep your eye out for the big ones.

 

[Nesim]

HI Anton ...
i found somthing on the fish
Herring Scad
Alepes Vari
Specimens reported 56cm

 

[Deepdown]

Shane,

I'm not to sure if it is an AJ, it seems to be missing the AJ's signature diagonal amber stripe over the eye. It is definitily in the Jack familiy though...

Good luck IDing the fish.

Gerald

 

[anton]

Shane,
As deepdonw said, its missing the line/bar... Do AJs have red meat and taste like tuna?

Attached is some more, we just got back. I got three including the largest at 9KG although my poor tahiti is taking a beating... 1 band and line twice in one week :wave (There were three of us and we took 8 of these "things" and a large barracuda.) ...and half the fish was eaten already in hte past 3 hours!

Again we had large schools, this time 4 and it was like a rodeo but in the persian gulf! Line, shafts, fish, everywhere... It was such a mess at one point I removed and put on a stringer a fish that belonged to someone else that landed in my hands. It was only when I relealized the shaft was wrong that it dawned on me :duh although I kinda like the fish-being-everywhere after being dry for the past few months.

 

[Huan]

Here is a link to a whole lot of Jacks.Link
I suggest that in order to make a positive ID easier, get a good colour pic of the fish Before it fades after death.
also Fin ray and Gill raker counts are critical for identifying some closely related species.
hope this helps somewhat.
Huan

 

[anton]

Thanks Huan-went through it but no joy yet I have a photo somewhere of one of the 2 n my right hand but for color difference they only have a slight blue tinge on the upper half when they are smaller ones... lage ones color is same as here unfortunately. Although I cannot match for sure with any at the link you sent or fishbase (still have to do the "whole" tuna list since I only looked at our area) is the the front "side" (don't know what you call them) fins are VERY long on these and rake to a sharp point-in the majority of jacks they are shorter and stubbier...

-is amberjack meat red and tunaish??

 

[anton]

ok,
I am starting to think they are Seriola rivoliana (Almaco jack). DOes anyone know if this is a red meat or white meat fish???

 

[Deepdown]

Almaco jack meat is much the same as the amberjack, and they too have the stripe going over the eye...

 

[anton]

ok thanks, then almaco it is not :-( I talked to a guy yesterday that said it is likely a type of "black bar" jack without the bar or very little pronounced. They are rather dark... still not sure and am hoping this wind dies down so we can get offshore! Friends pulled in a BUNCH of massive jacks 2 days ago from a deep offshore wreck and I am keen to hit it.

 

[baracuda]

here in qatar we call them ( jesh feroo ) ..... very tasty

nice shooting

 

[QUETZAL]

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums.php post it here and someone will probably be able to help.