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Description:
Tarpon are large, deep-bodied fishes that grow to 8 feet in length.
The elongate body is slate blue on the dorsal surface, and silvery along the
sides and ventral surface. Fins are dusky in color. Scales are large
and number 40 - 48 along the lateral line. The large mouth is
upturned, with the lower jaw projecting beyond the upper jaw. A
prominent bony plate, called a gular plate is located between the bones of
the lower jaw. There is a single dorsal fin, the last ray of which is
threadlike and long. The pelvic fins are set abdominally and in front
of the origin of the dorsal fin. The caudal fin is deeply forked.
Habitat:
Tarpon prefer shallow coastal waters and estuaries. In the IRL, they
are often associated with seagrass beds and can be found near docks and
pilings. They spawn in offshore waters. Juveniles and sometimes
adults are known to enter freshwater areas.
Similar Species:
Tarpon are similar in appearance to the
ladyfish (Elops saurus). Ladyfish are not as deep-bodied as
tarpon and lack the filamentous ray on the dorsal fin.
Range:
Tarpon range from Nova Scotia south through Brazil, including Bermuda, the
Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. They are seldom found north of the
Carolinas.
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Tarpon cruising over seagrass bed.
Photo courtesy of C.
Paris, University of Miami.
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Diagram of an adult tarpon.
Illustration by Diana Rome Peebles 1998, courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife ConservationCommission, Division of Marine Fisheries.
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Tarpon eggs hatch into unusual larvae called leptocephali, which are
ribbon-like and transparent, barely resembling fish at all. These larvae
drift in the plankton for approximately 1 month or longer before being
drawn into estuaries by winds and tides. Once in estuarine
waters, larvae develop into juvenile tarpon.
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