Florida Pompano, Trachinotus carolinus
Florida Pompano, Trachinotus carolinus. Fish caught from coastal waters off Tybee Island, Georgia, July 2021. Length: 10.6 cm (4.2 inches). Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Chris Moore, Peoria, Arizona.
Florida Pompano, Trachinotus carolinus. Fish caught off the pier in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, October 2013. Length: 13.5 cm (5.3 inches). Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, Peoria, Illinois.
Florida Pompano, Trachinotus carolinus. Fish caught off the beach at Sanibel Island, Florida, February 2021. Length: 20 cm (7.9 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Marc Eberlein, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The Florida Pompano, Trachinotus carolinus, is a member of the Jack or Carangidae Family, and is known in Mexico as pámpano amarillo. Globally, there are twenty species in the genus Trachinotus, which seven are found in Mexican waters, three in the Atlantic and four in the Pacific Ocean.
The Florida Pompano has an elongated, oblong, and compressed body with similar upper and lower profiles and a depth that is 35% to 39% of standard length. They are silver overall and transition to yellow ventrally without distinctive markings. Their fins are yellow with the exception of their dorsal fin which is dark. Their head has a very rounded and extendable snout. Their mouth reaches under the eyes and is equipped with small conical teeth that disappear in larger fish. Their anal fin has 2 detached spines, followed by 1 spine and 20 to 24 rays; their caudal fin has a slender base and is deeply forked; their dorsal fin has 6 short stout spines and 22 to 27 rays; and, their pectoral fins are short. Their anal and soft dorsal fin have similar bases with front lobes that are raised but not highly elongated. They have 5 to 7 gill rakers on the upper arch and 8 to 14 gill rakers on the lower arch. Their body is covered with oval scales. Their lateral line is straight and does not have scutes.
The Florida Pompano is a demersal coastal pelagic species that is found inshore, over sandy bottoms, in bays, and in estuaries at depths up to 69 m (225 feet). They reach a maximum of 64 cm (2 feet 1 inches) in length and of 3.8 kg (8 lbs 6 oz) in weight. As of January 1, 2024, the International Game Fish Association world record for length stood at 50 cm (1 feet 8 inches) with the fish caught from coastal waters off Brazil in July 2015. The corresponding world record for weight stood at 3.76 kg (8 lbs 4 oz) with the fish caught in coastal waters off Port St. Joe Bay, Florida in October 1999. They can be found in small and large schools and prefer water temperatures in excess of 19oC (66oF). They consume crustaceans, small fish and mollusks. They grow quickly in their first year of life and mature rapidly. Reproduction is oviparous with pelagic eggs and larvae. They have lifespans of seven years. The Florida Pompano is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.
The Florida Pompano is a resident of all Mexican waters of the Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico and the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Caribbean.
The Florida Pompano can be confused with the Permit, Trachinotus falcatus (deeper body; black blotch at pectoral fin base; dark fins).
From a conservation perspective the Florida Pompano is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are a targeted game fish caught by recreational anglers out of the surf and off piers on live and dead bait utilizing lightweight tackle. They are also a target of commercial fishermen utilizing gill nets and handlines as a by-catch by commercial fishermen targeting mackerels and sharks within the Gulf of Mexico. They are considered excellent table fare and command elevated prices. They are heavily regulated in the southeast United States with size and daily bag limits. Efforts to raise Florida Pompano by aquaculture are currently ongoing.