Megalops atlanticus Valenciennes, 1847

Tarpon

Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Classification	Actinopterygii \| Elopiformes \| Megalopidae
Synonyms	Tarpon atlanticus, Clupea gigantea, Megalops elongatus, ... more
Common names	... more

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AquaMaps Data sources: GBIF OBIS

Main reference

Hureau, J.-C. 1984. (Ref. 3234)
Other references | Biblio | Coordinator | Collaborators

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 250 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2683); common length : 130 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2683); max. published weight: 161.0 kg (Ref. 26340); max. reported age: 55 years (Ref. 9975)

Length at first maturity

L_m 140.00, range 100 - 128.5 cm

Environment

Reef-associated; amphidromous (Ref. 51243); freshwater; brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 30 m (Ref. 3789), usually 0 - 15 m (Ref. 42064)

Climate / Range

Subtropical; 49°N - 44°S, 99°W - 14°E (Ref. 55254)

Eastern Atlantic: Senegal to Angola, with exceptional occurrences in Portugal, Azores and Atlantic coast of southern France. Western Atlantic: North Carolina, USA to Bahia, Brazil, with occasional occurrences off the American coast northward to Nova Scotia, Canada and southward to Cananéia, Brazil and Argentina. Throughout Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean (Ref. 26938). Eastern Central Pacific: Cobia Island in Panama via the Panama Canal.
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13 - 16; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 22 - 25. Dorsal fin with short base at midlength of body. Anal fin with longer base, origin of posterior end at the level of the dorsal fin. Pectorals origin very low. Scales of the lateral line with ramified tubes. Blue gray back, shiny silvery sides. Swim bladder attached to esophagus and can be filled directly with air; this feature enables this species to live in oxygen-poor (brackish) waters. Large scales, 37-42 in lateral line (Ref. 26938). Last ray extended as heavy filament (Ref. 26938).

Inhabit coastal waters, bays, estuaries, mangrove-lined lagoons, and rivers (Ref. 3789, 27188). Often found in river mouths and bays, entering fresh water (Ref. 27227). Large schools may frequent particular spots for years (Ref. 9710). Feed on fishes like sardines, anchovies, Mugilidae, Centropomus, Cichlidae (mainly those forming schools) and crabs (Ref. 3789, 27188). The swim bladder, attached to the esophagus, can be filled directly with air and permits the fish to live in oxygen-poor waters. Has high fecundity, a 203 cm female is estimated to produce over 12 million eggs (Ref. 10863). Spawn in waters which can be temporarily isolated from the open sea (Ref. 27188). Famous for its spectacular leaps when hooked. Marketed fresh or salted (Ref. 3789). Large scales are used in ornamental work and in preparation of artificial pearls (Ref. 3789). Used to be cultured commercially in Colombia (Ref. 7306). Highly appreciated by sport fishers. The flesh is also highly appreciated despite its being bony (Ref. 27188). The world record for hook and line is 283 lbs. from Lake Maricaibo, Venezuela (Ref. 13442).


IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 57073)	Threat to humans
Not Evaluated	Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 31172)

Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums


More information
Countries FAO areas Ecosystems Occurrences Introductions Ecology Diet Food items Food consumption Ration	Common names Synonyms Metabolism Predators Ecotoxicology Reproduction Maturity Spawning Eggs Egg development	Age/Size Growth Length-weight Length-length Length-frequencies Morphometrics Morphology Larvae Larval dynamics Recruitment	Other references Biblio Aquaculture Aquaculture profile Strains Genetics Allele frequencies Heritability Diseases Processing	Collaborators Pictures Stamps Sounds Ciguatera Speed Swim. type Gill area Otoliths Brains Vision

Tools
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Summary page \| Point data \| Common names \| Photos

Internet sources

Estimation of some characteristics with mathematical models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805)

PD₅₀ = 1.0039

Resilience (Ref. 69278)

Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.07-0.10; tmax=55; Fec>1 million)


Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)	Price category (Ref. 80766)
Very high vulnerability (76 of 100)	Medium

Entered by Luna, Susan M.

Modified by Bailly, Nicolas

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