Fish Facts » False Albacore
Description
Dorsal spines (total): 15 - 16; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 13; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 11 - 15; Vertebrae: 39. Anterior spines of first dorsal fin much higher than the those mid-way, giving the fin a strongly concave outline. Interpelvic process small and bifid. Body naked except for corselet and lateral line. Swim bladder absent. Incipient protuberances on 33rd and 34th vertebrae. Back with broken oblique stripes (Ref. 168). Caudal peduncle with 7-8 finlets. Dark stripes on the back and with 3-7 dark spots between pelvic and pectoral fins.
Habitat
Reef-associated; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); brackish; marine; depth range 1 - 150 m
Diet
This schooling species is an opportunistic predator which feeds on virtually everything within its range, i.e. crustaceans, fishes (mainly clupeoid), squids, heteropods and tunicates.
Size
122 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26340); max. published weight: 16.5 kg (Ref. 40637); max. reported age: 10 years (Ref. 28173)
Range
Atlantic Ocean: in tropical and subtropical waters, including the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Highly migratory species, Annex I of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea
Source(s)
FishBase
Source(s) on the web
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=97