Animal Species:Longfin Escolar, Scombrolabrax heterolepis Roule, 1921

The Longfin Escolar occurs in tropical and subtropical areas of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. It has very large eyes and a large mouth with two or three fangs at the front of the upper jaw and strong teeth laterally.

Longfin Escolar from the Coral Sea

Longfin Escolar from the Coral Sea
Mark McGrouther © Australian Museum

Alternative Name/s

Black Mackerel

Identification

The Longfin Escolar is a moderately elongate and compressed fish. It has very large eyes and a large mouth with two or three fangs at the front of the upper jaw and strong teeth laterally. The spinous dorsal fin is about twice the length of the soft dorsal fin. The pectoral fin is very large. A single lateral line runs along the upper sides of the body and terminates near the end of the soft dorsal fin. The species is dark brown with darker fins.

Size range

The species grows to 30 cm in length.

Distribution

The Longfin Escolar occurs in tropical and subtropical areas of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans. It is not known from the eastern Pacific and south-eastern Atlantic. The species has been caught off north-western Western Australia and off north-eastern Queensland.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information.  Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

Scombrolabrax heterolepis Ozcam map of Longfin Escolar specimens in the Australian Museum.

What does this mean?

Habitat

In Australia adults are known from continental slope and shelf depths (854 m to 1293 m). Larvae and juveniles are found in depths from 1 m to 150 m.

Classification

Species:
heterolepis
Genus:
Scombrolabrax
Family:
Scombrolabracidae
Order:
Perciformes
Class:
Actinopterygii
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

References

  1. Nakamura, I. & N.V. Parin. 2001. Scombrolabracidae. in Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 6 Pp. 3381-4218.


Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:

Tags Fishes, Ichthyology, Longfin Escolar, Scombrolabrax heterolepis, Scombrolabracidae, brown, 'normal fish', 10 cm - 30 cm, no pattern, deepsea, marine, adult, huge eyes,