Bigeye scad
Selar crumenophtalmus
(Bloch, 1793)
Description:
Body elongated, metallic blue to bluish green dorsally, shading to white ventrally, a lateral yellow stripe sometimes present. Large eye. Tail deeply forked. Lower margin of gill opening with a deep furrow, a large papilla immediately above it and a smaller one near the upper edge. Operculum with a black spot. Scutes only on rear lateral line.
Size up to 60 cm.
Habitat:
Prefers clear oceanic waters around islands above neritic waters. Occasionally in turbid waters. Mainly nocturnal. Feeds on small shrimps, benthic invertebrates and forams when inshore, and zooplankton and fish larvae when offshore. Travels in compact groups of hundreds to thousands of fish. Down to 170 m.
Distribution:
Occasional Florida, Bahamas and Caribbean.