Common names
False amberjack, Little amberjack
Lesser amberjack
Seriola fasciata
- Saltwater
- Least concern
Max length26.5 in
Common length19.75 in
Length typeFork Length
Max weight8 lb 13 oz
Depth range181 - 427 ft
Water typeSaltwater
Water temperature63 - 79 °F
Fish info
IUCN Vulnerability status
Short description
Lesser amberjack have either olive green, dark pink, brownish or violet back while their sides are silvery and their belly is white or silver-grey. A light gold line extends from its eye to their tail. They have a dark stripe from behind the eye to the front of the dorsal fin. They have short and wide bodies with relatively slender upper jaws. Proportionately larger eye and deeper body than the related greater amberjack. The second dorsal fin is not connected to the first. Lesser amberjack are also known to have a tail that is shaped like a boomerang. The anal fin is about 2/3 the length of the second dorsal fin with 21-24 gill rakers on each gill arch. Juveniles have split or wavy bars on the sides. Known as the smallest amberjack species.
Habitat
Found nearshore and offshore. Typically found in deeper waters than other amberjacks.
Distribution
In the western Atlantic it ranges from Massachusetts in the north along the eastern Coast of the United States and into the Gulf of Mexico as far south as Tamaulipas. In the Caribbean Sea it is found off Cuba and Barbados and from Santa Marta, Colombia to Isla la Tortuga, Venezuela. It is also found around Bermuda. In the eastern Atlantic its distribution reaches north to Spain and the Mediterranean Sea to Ghana as well as being found around the Canary Islands, Azores, Madeira and St Helena.
Behaviour
They are demersal, predatory species, the adults feed on smaller fish and cephalopods and stay relatively near the coast. Juveniles are epipelagic in oceanic or offshore neritic waters. Believed to spawn offshore.
Edibility
The lesser amberjack is edible, but due to its smaller size, it's not usually kept by anglers. The meat has been described as bland and somewhat flavourless.
Lure suggestion
One of the most used fishing techniques is drifting live bait or pieces of cut fish. Can also be caught by trolling with feathered jigs and other artificial lures. When fishing for this species, it is important to sink your lure to the bottom where the fish swim. A vertical jig can be used for that. Good baits: squid, cigar minnows, spinach fish, mullets or fish strips.
Similar species
Other similar species
Other Jack species, Banded rudderfish