Description:
Crevalle jacks are deep-bodied, somewhat compressed fishes that grow more than 3 feet (91 cm) in length, and weigh over 55 pounds (24.7 kg).  Profile of the head is steep, with a short snout, and terminal mouth.  The lower jaw projects beyond the upper.  Body color is typically blue-black or green-blue dorsally, fading to silver along the sides.  The fins and ventral surface are generally yellowish to dusky.  A vertically elongate dark spot is set at the edge of the opercule.  A second black area extends across the lower rays of the pectoral fins.  There are no scales in the anterior ventral portion of the body.  Two dorsal fins are present, with 9 spines in the first dorsal fin, followed by 19-21 soft rays in the second dorsal fin.  The anal fin mirrors the second dorsal fin. Two fin spines are separated from the soft rays of the anal fin.  The caudal peduncle is narrow and has a set of 25-42 bony scutes set at its midline.  The caudal fin is forked.

Habitat:
Crevalle jacks are found from deeper offshore waters of the continental shelf to inshore coastal waters, where they are often found in estuaries and bays, and sometimes enter fresh water.    Juveniles are common in estuaries where they utilize seagrass beds, as well as sand and mud substrates.

Range:
Crevalle jacks have a wide distribution in the world's subtropical and temperate waters from approximately 45ºN - 33ºS latitudes.  In the eastern Atlantic, they are found from Portugal south through Angola.  In the western Atlantic, they range from Nova Scotia south through Uruguay, including the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and parts of the West Indies.  In U.S. waters, they are also reported from the Pacific coast, where they are known to range from approximately San Diego, south to Chile.