Rainbow mackerel
| Rainbow mackerel | ||||||||||||
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Rainbow mackerel ( Elagatis bipinnulata ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Elagatis | ||||||||||||
| Bennet , 1840 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Elagatis bipinnulata | ||||||||||||
| ( Quoy & Gaimard , 1825) |
The rainbow mackerel ( Elagatis bipinnulata ) is a species of fish from the family of jacks (Carangidae).
description
The spindle-shaped, elongated trunk of the predatory fish, which is up to 1.2 m long, indicates a fast high-sea swimmer. The back and flanks are light blue, over the flanks (usually two) golden yellow longitudinal stripes. The lower, strongest stripe begins directly behind the eye and extends across the middle of the body to the base of the tail. The back and strip transitions shimmer green. The ventral side is silvery. This dazzling contrast of light blue, greenish and yellow stripes gave the rainbow mackerel its name.
The fins are pointed, the caudal fin is deeply forked. The tips of the fins have a yellowish tinge, like the related amber mackerel . The dorsal fin is preceded by 6 separate, inconspicuous spines, which are separated from the soft tissue of the dorsal fin by a clear notch. Support fins ( adipose fins ) and grooves are provided on the tail peduncle. The pectoral fins are also pointed, but not excessively elongated.
The head is elongated, the mouth pointed, but the gap in the mouth does not reach eye level. There are no scales on the sidelines .
The rainbow mackerel is an edible fish and therefore important for commercial fishing. It is also popular with deep sea anglers.
Distribution area
Mainly in the Atlantic Ocean in the Gulf of Mexico , in the Caribbean , off the West Indies , but occasionally found from Massachusetts to Northern Brazil . Also in the Eastern Pacific , from Cabo San Lucas ( Baja California ) to the coasts of northern South America. In near-surface water layers, sometimes over reefs.
Diet
Like most mackerel species, which are a group of perch-like fish, the rainbow mackerel has a predatory lifestyle. It feeds on larger crustaceans in the zooplankton and small fish.
behavior
Very lively fish, similar to the hunter like the Cobia , often to be found accompanying sharks and pilot fish . Jacks are constant swimmers and often come together in schools, including the rainbow mackerel.
Multiplication
Little is known about reproduction, such as spawning time. Presumably, like other jacks, pelagic eggs containing oil globules, which is why the spawns swim freely in the water. The hatching larvae then feed on plankton that are also floating freely .
swell
- National Audubon Society: Field Guide to North American Fishes, Whales and Dolphins . New York 1995
literature
- WF Smith-Vaniz: Carangidae . In: MM Smith and PC Heemstra (Eds.): Smith's sea fishes. Pp. 638-661, Springer-Verlag, Berlin 1986
Web links
- Rainbow mackerel on Fishbase.org (English)