Fun Almaco Jack Facts For Kids

The almaco jack, also known as the silver coat jack or longfin yellowtail, is a game fish from the Carangidae. They are from the same family as the amberjack or yellowtail.

They are carnivores and feed on small squid and smaller fish. Most of their life is spent eating shrimp, crabs, and other crustaceans. Their dorsal and anal fins are high and elongated.

Their body and lower fins are generally dark brown or dark bluish-green and have a lighter-colored belly that looks brassy. They have dense and thick flesh just like tuna. Because of this, if they are prepared as sushi, they can easily get passed off as white albacore.

Their meat is white and great for broiling and grilling. They are commonly used in fish tacos too.

Almaco jack is considered to be a cousin of the greater amberjack fish. This fish can be found hanging out around reefs and wrecks.

You may also check out our fact files on French angelfish and yellow bullhead from Kidadl.

Almaco Jack Interesting Facts

What type of animal is an almaco jack?

An almaco jack (Seriola rivoliana) is a type of fish.

What class of animal does an almaco jack belong to?

The almaco jack fish belongs to the Actinopterygii class.

How many almaco jacks are there in the world?

The exact population of almaco jacks is not known. However, their conservation status suggests that they are not facing any immediate threats.

Where does an almaco jack live?

The almaco jack is a pelagic species found in deep waters in the open-ocean zones, beyond the continental shelf. This longfin yellowtail species can be found in small groups off reefs and on rock slopes at depths of 16-525 ft (5-160 m).

Compared to other jack fishes, they visit rock wrecks more frequently. From the west Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean, almaco jack can be found living from Kenya to South Africa.

They have also been spotted off New Caledonia, Wake Island, Mariana Islands, Kermadec Islands, and Ryukyu islands. They can be found mostly from northern Argentina to Cape Cod in the western Atlantic, and they are rare in North and South Carolina.

In the eastern Pacific region, these fishes can be found offshore from Peru to California and the Galápagos Islands. These fishes are not common in the eastern Atlantic area.

What is an almaco jack's habitat?

An almaco jack’s habitat is in deep waters and rocks wrecks of open-ocean zones. They are rare in South and North Carolina as well as the eastern Atlantic area.  

Who does the almaco jack live with?

Almaco jack fish live in small groups in rocks wrecks of open-ocean zones.

How long does an almaco jack live?

The maximum lifespan of an almaco jack is about 17 years. This species is not common in North and South Carolina or the eastern Atlantic area.  

How do they reproduce?

Not much is known about how almaco jacks reproduce. However, scientists expect that their behavior is quite similar to greater amberjacks. Spawning occurs offshore throughout the fall, summer and spring, depending on the water temperature and latitude.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of the almaco jack is of Least Concern by the IUCN Red List of Threatened species.

Almaco Jack Fun Facts

What does an almaco jack look like?

The almaco jack has faint olive or amber stripes that run down its side. In appearance, it is similar to the greater amberjack.

It can be characterized by its thin forked tail and the football-shaped body that is darker on the top. They also have a dark line that extends from their nose, through their eyes, all the way down their flank.

The underbelly is white in color and the upper fins, body, and lower fins are generally dark brown or dark-blue-green. The lighter-colored belly might look lavender or brassy.

The dorsal and anal fins of the almaco jack are elongated and high. In adults, the nuchal bar and the dorsal and anal fins are dark-colored, except the pelvic fins which have white ventral sides.

Compared to other jacks, almaco jacks have more flattened and less elongated bodies. Another feature that distinguishes them from other jacks is their dorsal fins.

In the almaco jack species, the first few rays of their dorsal fin are about twice as long as their dorsal spines, whereas, in other jacks, the rays are less than twice the dorsal spines’ length. Also, adult almaco jacks can reach about 36 in (91.4 cm) in length.

* Please note that this is an image of yellow amberjack and not almaco jack. If you have an image of an almaco jack please let us know at hello@kidadl.com.

How cute are they?

The almaco jack species is not a fish known for its beautiful appearance. However, their dark fins, lighter-colored, and brassy underbelly might appeal to some fish enthusiasts.

How do they communicate?

The almaco jack is not known to communicate with each other.

How big is an almaco jack?

An almaco jack can reach a length of about 38 in (96.5 cm).

How fast can an almaco jack swim?

There is not enough information to know the exact speed of almaco jack, however, this species is known to be fast swimmers.

How much does an almaco jack weigh?

The average weight of oceanic almaco jacks species can range between 14-30 lb (6.3-13.6 kg). However, some might even exceed 130 lb (59 kg). Compared to other jacks, almaco jacks have less elongated and more flattened bodies.

What are the male and female names of the species?

Male and female names for the oceanic almaco jack species are the same.

What would you call a baby almaco jack?

There is no specific name for an oceanic baby almaco jack.

What do they eat?

Almaco jacks, the fast-swimming predators, mainly eat fish. Their primary diet includes small bony fishes like baitfish and catfish, but they can also eat invertebrates like small squids. Also, they feed during the day as well as the night.

Are they dangerous?

Eating the almaco jacks caught near coral reefs might lead to ciguatera poisoning. This leads to stomach irritation and sometimes can be fatal.

Would they make a good pet?

No, jack almaco fish will not make good pets.

Did you know...

That jack almaco species is ranched or farmed in deep water near Hawaii under the name of Hawaiian Kampachi. In La Paz, Baja California Sur, and Mexico, they are farmed under the name of brand Baja Kampachi.

There, they are a domesticated alternative to wild tuna. A Hawaiian fish farm grows the longfin yellowtail in diamond- or ring-shaped net pens that are moored at depths of 800 ft (244 m) into the sea. In 2008, their global production reached 1,000,000 lb (453,592.3 kg).

Eating jack almaco fish might cause ciguatera disease in humans. This condition is caused because of the bioaccumulation of ciguatoxin, a chemical produced by a microscopic organism named dinoflagellate. However, almaco jacks that are farmed on a controlled diet do not have these dinoflagellates and can be eaten without fearing the transmission of ciguatera.

Jack almaco dishes have one of the best feed conversion ratios that were reported. With no selective breeding, 1 lb (0.4 kg) of almaco jack can range between 1.6:1–2:1. The resulting meat will have a 30% fat content.

Another interesting fact is that amberjacks and almaco jacks are often riddled with long, white worms infestations.

What is the difference between greater and lesser amberjacks?

The lesser amberjack is a small-statured fish that is quite similar to the greater amberjack. However, some features can help you to distinguish the two.

The best way for differentiating between the two is through size. Lesser amberjacks don’t exceed 10 lb (4.5 kg) in most cases. When dealing with the juveniles of both subspecies, this might cause an identification issue.

However, if you take a closer look, you will find a dark band starting at the dorsal fin and ending at the eye. This is a sure shot sign that the fish in front of you is lesser amberjack. Just like greater amberjack, these fishes also have brownish-black or olive green blacks along with silversides.

Their eyes are proportionately larger than greater amberjack’s eyes. They can be found in structures that are deeper than 100 ft (30.4 m).

As the name of greater amberjacks suggests, it is the largest of all the jacks. With intense runs, tenacious headshakes, and a vicious strike, identifying greater jacks is quite easy. However, identifying greater amberjacks becomes difficult in the case of juveniles.

They have elongated bodies along with dark brown backs with yellowish and blue sides and silvery-white undersides. Take a look at the dark stripe running from the dorsal fin and ending at the eye of the jacks.

In the case of lesser amberjack, the line will end at the eye. For a greater amberjack, the line will be stretching through the eye and ending at the snout. These jacks are encountered at 100-300 ft (30.4-91.4 m).

What are four fish that should be avoided?

There are four fishes that you should not eat due to a variety of reasons. Tilapia is a fish contains low levels of omega-3 fatty acids which are beneficial and high levels of omega-6 fatty acids which are inflammatory.

Eating this can worsen the symptoms of autoimmune conditions. Mackerel fish contains mercury which might accumulate in your body and lead to several diseases. However, eating small amounts of mackerel is fine.

Grouper is a giant fish that has high mercury levels and EDF has issued a consumption advisory. Finally, for conservation reasons, monkfish which is like a catfish because of its whiskers should be avoided because their numbers are slowly recovering.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish from our redbreast sunfish facts and billfish facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable almaco jack coloring pages.