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Tarpon World
Record
~ 283 Lbs 4 oz. Caught at Sherbro ls., Sierra Leone on Apr. 16, 1991 by
angler Yvon Victor Sebag Scientific
name
~ Megalops Atlanticus Other
names
~ Silver King, Atlantic Tarpon, Cuffum Identification
~ The Tarpon is bright
silver along the sides and belly with large scales. Along the back
tarpon usually appear dark blue to greenish-black. However, the
color may appear brownish or brassy for individuals inhabiting inland
waters. The dorsal and caudal fins have dusky margins and often appear
dark. The tarpon has a superior mouth with the lower jaw extending far
beyond the gape. The fins contain no spines, but are all composed of
soft rays. The tail fin is deeply forked, and the lobes appear equal in
length. Size
~ Angler caught Tarpon are
in the 40 to 100 pound range with fish over 150 pounds being rare.
Female tarpon can grow to lengths of
8 feet and reach weights of 300
pounds. The male Tarpon are generally smaller. Tarpon are slow-growing
fish and do not obtain sexual maturity until reaching an age of 6-7
years and a length of about 4 feet. Tarpon may live longer than 50 years Habitat
~ Tarpon populate a wide variety of habitats, but are primarily found in
coastal waters, bays, estuaries, and mangrove-lined lagoons within
tropical, subtropical, and temperate climates. Although a marine fish,
tarpon can tolerate living in fresh, brackish, or salt water and often
enter river mouths and bays and travel upstream into fresh water. Tarpon
inhabit a large range on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The range in
the Eastern Atlantic extends from Senegal to the Congo. In the Western
Atlantic, the fish primarily inhabit warmer coastal waters concentrating
around the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, and the West Indies. However, tarpon
are not uncommon as far north as Cape Hatteras. Feeding
Habits
~ Adult Tarpon are strictly carnivorous and mostly feed on mid-water
prey such as mullets, pinfish, marine catfishes, Atlantic needlefish,
sardines, shrimp, and crabs. Tarpon feed during both day and night. The
tarpon have minute teeth only and usually swallow their prey whole.
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