Tarpon

Megalops atlanticus

The Tarpon is a popular sportfish known for spectacular leaps when caught on a hook and line. These silvery fish spawn in estuaries. As adults, they travel to deeper, coastal salt water, where they can grow quite large. Some Tarpon have weighed in at over 300 pounds! Like eels, Tarpon, Ladyfish, and Bonefish go through a plankton stage as they mature.

Look For : A large, spindle-shaped fish with large, silvery scales and bony jaws. Last ray of dorsal fin long and threadlike; deeply forked tail fin.

Length : 8'.

Habitat : Warm coastal waters, estuaries, mangrove-lined shores.

Range : From Nova Scotia south to Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, and southward.