Leatherjacket fish

For the fish family known as leatherjackets, see filefish.
Leatherjacket fish
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Carangidae
Genus: Oligoplites
Species: O. saurus
Binomial name
Oligoplites saurus
(Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801)

The leatherjacket fish, skipjack or leather jack, Oligoplites saurus, is a species of jack in the Carangidae family.[1] Leather jack may also refer to other members of the Carangidae, such as the pilot fish.

Distribution

The leatherjack fish inhabits shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico and southern Atlantic coast. Also, it is found in Australian waters, in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Feeding

It voraciously devours small fish and shrimp, often in company with larger predatory species.

Eaten

Traditionally, the leather jacket has not been eaten, but recently, with large-scale farming of the fish, it has become common at market. The fish has a mild, oily taste similar to Spanish mackerel or bluefish. It has occasionally been the prey to Blue Swimmer Crab, as juvenile fish in sea grass beds.

References

  1. ↑ "Oligoplites saurus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 24 January 2006.
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