Who lives where? Who lives how? What story do these fish have? We are happy to answer these and other questions in our species presentation.
Description
The Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) is a large, up to 2.5 meters long bony fish that in the eastern Atlantic from Senegal to Angola, and in the western Atlantic from North Carolina to Bahia in Brazil, as well as in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico occurs.
The Atlantic Tarpon is very popular with deep sea anglers because of its "spectacular fights". Its meat is marketed fresh or salted.
Way of Life/Habitat
The Atlantic tarpon occurs in the eastern Atlantic from Senegal to Angola and in the western Atlantic from North Carolina to Bahira in Brazil, as well as in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.
Occasionally they are also found north of their normal range, on the coasts of Portugal, southern, Atlantic France, the Azores and on the North American coast north to Nova Scotia. A population off Panama, in the east central Pacific, must be traced back to specimens that migrated through the Panama Canal.
The fish live close to the coast, in bays, mangrove-lined lagoons and also go in brackish water, in estuaries also in fresh water.
Fact sheet
Scientific Name:
Megalops atlanticus
Size:
250 cm maximum
Weight:
Maximum published weight 161 kg
Age:
A maximum of 55 years
Habitat:
Close to the coast in bays, lagoons, in brackish water and fresh water
