Relevant synonyms None Misidentification None Meristic formula D1, VII-IX; D2 , I + 31-36; A, II-III + 22-28; P, 21-22; V, I + 5.  photo : John E. Randall

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body elongated, subcylindrical with broad and depressed head. Dorsal spine short, strong and isolated, each with separate small membrane. Second dorsal fin long, elevated anteriorly. Caudal fin round to truncated in young, emarginated in adults with upper lobe slightly longer. Anal fin origin beneath second dorsal apex, somewhat elevated anteriorly. Pectoral fin pointed. Lower jaw slightly projected, extending back to vertical of eye. Bands of villiform teeth on jaws, vomar, palatine and tongue. Very small embedded scales. color : back and flanks grey to brownish with two distinct longtitudal white lines on the sides. size : common 50-120 cm (max. 200 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Pomatomus saltator: dorsal spines connected by small membrane; presence of large sharp teeth. Lichia amia: curved lateral line. Second dorsal origin above anal fin origin. Echeneidae: first dorsal modified into sucking disk. Other families: dorsal spines connected by membrane.   BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Feeds mainly on crustaceans, small fishes and cephalopods. Often observed swimming among remoras. Eggs and larvae pelagic. habitat : pelagic, often over continental shelf.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Israel, 1986. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : worldwide, in warm waters (except the west coast of America). Mediterranean : only a single specimen recorded in Israel (Golani and Ben-Tuvia, 1986). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Very rare. speculated reasons for success : MODE OF INTRODUCTION Presumably via the Suez Canal but an Atlantic origin is also possible [see: Golani and Sonin, (1996)]. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None in the Mediterranean. Elsewhere considered an excellent game fish.

KEY REFERENCES Golani D. and Ben-Tuvia A., 1986. New records of fishes from the Mediterranean coast of Israel including Red Sea immigrants. Cybium, 10: 285-291. Golani D. and Sonin O., 1996. The occurence of the tropical West African marine fishes Acanthurus monroviae (Acanthuridae) and Arius parkii (Ariidae) in the Levant. Aqua - Journal of Ichthyology and Aquatic Biology, 2: 1-3. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: April 2002 ©ciesm 2002