Atlantic tarpon
Megalops atlanticus
ok. 2,3 mAdult individual
total length
total length
wzdłuż osi ciała · od pyska do końca ogonaMeasurement: side
- Mass
- up to around 160 kgDorosłe osobniki
Atlantic tarpon — size comparison
The Atlantic tarpon has large silver scales and a powerful, upward-facing mouth. In the warm Atlantic it occupies bays, lagoons and estuaries, including mangrov
Silhouette comparison
Length
wzdłuż osi ciała · od pyska do końca ogonaScale for the stated dimensions · each animal is labelled
Total lengthScale in m
00,511,522,5
approx. 2.3 m
The scale compares the named dimensions. View direction and measurement points are given for each animal.
Atlantic tarpon — size comparison — facts and sources
The Atlantic tarpon has large silver scales and a powerful, upward-facing mouth. In the warm Atlantic it occupies bays, lagoons and estuaries, including mangrove areas. It can gulp atmospheric air and breathe through a highly vascularised swim bladder, allowing use of oxygen-poor water.
It hunts fish, shrimps and crabs. Adults move farther offshore to spawn. Their transparent, ribbon-like larvae, called leptocephali, look entirely different from the silver fish later encountered in coastal schools.