The Pompano, also known as Derbio, Short Dorsal Fin Pompano or Silverfish, is a species in the family of the Carangidae and thus belongs to the superclass of bony fish. Trachinotus ovatus was first described by Linnaeus in 1758.
Description, Anatomy & Features
The Pompano has an elongated, laterally strongly compressed body with a silver basic colouring. The caudal fin is clearly split or forked. In addition, the caudal fin has black edges and a white spot on the upper part. Black dots are also present on the dorsal and ventral fins.
On each side, three to five points can be seen in the middle of the body.
Trachinotus ovatus grows up to 70cm long, although it usually does not grow larger than 35cm. On the Canary Islands I have not yet seen a specimen over 20cm length. Furthermore, it can reach a weight of up to 2.8kg.
Habitat & Distribution
Although it says in some sources that the Silverfish lives in 50 – 200m depth, I have only observed them in shallow water down to 10m depth. They belong to the species that move in the open water. They usually occur above sandy or muddy soils.
When diving on the Canary Islands you can often observe Trachinotus ovatus. Especially during the safety stop near the coast.
The general distribution area of the Pompano extends in the eastern Atlantic of Scandinavia, over Great Britain, along the European and African coast as far as to Angola. It can also found in the Mediterranean Sea and around Atlantic islands, such as the Azores and Madeira.
Biology, Feeding & Reproduction
The Pompano lives in small or large shoals in shallow open water.
Trachinotus ovatus feeds on other fish, molluscs and crustaceans.
The reproduction of the Pompano takes place in the summer months, whereby the spawn is released into the open water.
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