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Amberjack is also known as Seriola dumerili. This large fish is seen mostly in the Pacific and Atlantic regions. They are seen in the warmer regions of the oceans. Amberjacks are silvery white in color and slender and agile in form.
Amberjacks are fished using traps, hydraulic reels, roads and reels and hand lines. These fishes are recreational game fishes. They are fished for commercial purposes as well. As it’s in the top of the food chain, the large ones have the danger of ciguatera poison.
Great amberjacks grow up to a length of 1.9 m. The younger ones are about 25 ft in length and found near debris. They mature at the age of 4 and migrate to reproduce from late spring to the summers. These fishes go to the deep waters to produce eggs. The female amberjacks spawn around 18-59 million eggs during one season. The young ones are produced near large objects or shipwrecks for safety.
The officially published weight of this fish is about 80.6 kg. On a normal basis, they weight up to 18 kg. Compared to the male species, females live longer and grow larger in size. Amberjacks have a life span of around 17 years. The average life is just 10 years due to the high demand for high-quality seafood. These fishes reach sexual maturity between the age of 4-5.
Amberjacks are seen in subtropical areas across the world. In the Pacific, these fishes are seen in the Persian Gulf, Japan and Hawaii islands. The Caroline and Mariana islands in Micronesia and New Caledonia also have amberjacks. In the west coast of Atlantic, they are found in Canada, Nova Scotia, Brazil and even Bermuda. Amberjacks were also visible in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. The greater amberjacks were seen in the eastern regions of the Atlantic. From the British waters all the way to Morocco and the Mediterranean Sea.
The amberjack species are mostly seen among floating debris and rocky reefs. Younger ones are seen among shipwrecks at depths of about 60-240 feet. As they are not on the top part of the food chain, they need to be careful about sharks and other large fishes. Reports have sighted amberjacks off the Florida coasts at inshore regions. Studies show certain amberjacks live along the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Florida. Few species migrate from the southern Atlantic parts to inshore waters at some point of time. When young, the amberjacks are seen as groups. They no longer show this behavior as they become older. As they grow older, they prefer solitude.
Amberjacks are opportunistic predators that wait quietly and attach their prey. The adult fishes consume pelagic and benthic fishes, crustaceans and squids. The most common preys are sardines and bigeye scad. The younger amberjacks eat water organisms like small invertebrates and decapod larvae.