Amberjack, Seriola rivoliana

Amberjack, Seriola rivoliana.  Underwater photograph taken in coastal waters off Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, November 2017. Photograph courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.

Amberjack, Seriola rivoliana. Fish caught from coastal waters off Palmilla Point, Baja California Sur,  June 2007. Length: 50 cm (20 inches).

Amberjack, Seriola rivoliana. Fish caught from coastal waters off Big Pine Key, Florida, April 2020. Length: 52 cm (20 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Luke Ovgard, Klamath Falls, Oregon.

Amberjack, Seriola rivoliana. Fish caught from coastal waters off Palmilla Point, Baja California Sur,  March 2021. Length: 71 cm (2 feet 4 inches).

Amberjack, Seriola rivoliana. Fish caught from coastal waters off Loreto, Baja California Sur, April 2016. Length: 1.22 m (4 feet 0 inches). Weight: 26 kg (57 lbs). Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Chris Wheaton, Fullerton, California.

Amberjack, Seriola rivoliana. Fish caught from coastal waters off Agua Verde, Baja California Sur, March 2019. Photograph courtesy of Barry Mastro, Escondido, California.

Amberjack, Seriola rivoliana. Fish caught from coastal waters off Sebastian, Florida, April 2021. Length: 97 cm (3 feet 2 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, Sebastian, Florida.

Amberjack, Seriola rivoliana. Fish caught from coastal waters off San José del Cabo, Baja California Sur, July 2008. Photograph courtesy of Eric Brictson, Gordo Banks Pangas, La Playita, Baja California Sur.

The Amberjack, Seriola rivoliana, is a member of the Jack or Carangidae Family, that is also known as the Almaco Jack, the Longfin Yellowtail, the Pacific Amberjack and the Yellowfin Yellowtail, and in Mexico as medregal limónthe. There are nine members of the genus Seriola, of which six are found in Mexican waters, three in the Atlantic, two in the Pacific, and this species in both oceans.

The Amberjack has an elongated relatively deep compressed fusiform body that is wide in the middle and tapers at both ends with a depth that is 30% to 34% of standard length. The upper head and body profiles are distinctly more convex than their lower profile. The massive body is amber-colored and lighter on the undersides. They have a very distinctive dark “bandit” stripe running diagonally through the eyes obliquely to the front of the dorsal fin, which fades into a black background shortly after collection; this stripe significantly diminishes as the fish ages. They have a long pointed snout with the mouth ending under the center of the pupil. Their anal fin has 2 standalone spines followed by 1 spine and 18 to 22 rays with elongated front rays and a base that is much shorter than the second dorsal fin base; their caudal fin has a slender base and is deeply forked; the first dorsal fin has 7 or 8 spines and elongated front spines; their second dorsal fin has 1 spine and 27 to 33 rays; and, their pectoral fins are short. The juveniles have 24 to 29 gill rakers; the adults have 18 to 25 gill rakers. They do not have a keel or scutes.

The Amberjack is a demersal pelagic schooling species found at depths up to 250 m (820 feet). They are the largest Jack found in Mexican waters and reach a maximum of 1.6 m (5 feet 3 inches) in length and 62 kg (136 lbs) in weight. As of March 31, 2023, the International Game Fish Association world record for length stood at 1.25 m (4 feet 0 inches) with the fish caught from coastal waters off Panama in May 2019. The corresponding world record for weight stood at 61.7 kg (136 lbs 0 oz) with the fish caught from coastal waters off Japan in May 2020. I personally have caught an 39.0 kg (86 lb) Amberjack in the greater Los Cabos waters. The Amberjack 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 Amberjack is a resident of Mexican waters of both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. In the Atlantic they are found throughout including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. In the Pacific they are found in all waters with the exception that they are absent from of the northern 75% of the Sea of Cortez. They extend at least as far north as Loreto, Baja California Sur, as documented by the fish caught by Chris Wheaton, photographed above.

The Amberjack can be confused with the Yellowtail, Seriola lalandi (more aerodynamic; colored lateral stripe) and the Fortune Jack, Seriola peruana (smaller dark fins; bronze appearance).

From a conservation perspective the Amberjack is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are a component of artisanal fisheries in many parts of its range in the Caribbean and caught primarily via hook-and-line on handlines. It is not targeted commercially. It is currently being evaluated as a potential aquaculture species. It is a major targeted species in the greater Los Cabos area of Baja California Sur, however, they are very seasonal and not caught with regularity. They are famous for their easily recognized slow, steady, and consistent “pull”, which resembles a locomotive and can continue for several minutes without a pause. They are considered to be excellent table fare.

The Amberjack is currently a focus of Aquaculture with a large farm being established six km (4 miles) offshore in 70 m (230 feet) coastal waters off La Paz, Baja California Sur.  Fish from this effort they have recently showed up in the major food markets in the greater Los Cabos area marketed as Kampachi. Fish are priced at the elevated price of 250 peso per kg ($6.00 per pound). Fish marketed upon arrival look exceptional; after a couple of days on ice in display case they don’t.  Additional informative information is available via www.kingkampadhi.net.

Length versus Weight Chart: An Amberjack Weight From Length Conversion Table is presented below to allow the accurate determination of a fish’s weight from its length and to hopefully promote its rapid and unharmed return to the ocean.

Amberjack Weight From Length Conversion Table