Fun Florida Pompano Facts For Kids

Are your kids building a science project for school, writing a biology essay, or do you just want to find out more about the fascinating florida pompano? Carry on reading to learn detailed information about its habitat, its appearance and length, what its dorsal fin and anal fin look like, its diet of mollusks and fish, and its place in food and fishing.

The florida pompano is a marine fish that lives in shallow waters and can be found in the Atlantic Ocean, from the northern United States to the southern coasts of Brazil via the Gulf of Mexico. It is part of the jack family of fish. You can recognize a florida pompano by its flat shape and its blue, green, and yellowish tones across its silver body. It mostly feeds off small fish, shrimp, crabs, and plankton.

The florida pompano, with its scientific name Trachinotus carolinus, is a popular species for amateur and sport fishing. It is often found in shops labeled as the 'common pompano'. An angler will use jigs and bait to attempt to catch it and it is a fish commonly used in food, loved for its delicious white fillets.

Read on to find out more fascinating florida pompano fish facts, including fishing tips and a great florida pompano recipe! For more animal fun facts, why not give these cichlid or toadfish facts a go?

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What type of animal is a Florida pompano?

A florida pompano is a marine fish.

What class of animal does a florida pompano belong to?

The florida pompano belongs to the class of Actinopterygii, and it is part of the jack family.

How many florida pompanos are there in the world?

Although it is hard to know exactly how many florida pompanos exist in the world, their status is not considered endangered by fishing levels. In 2005, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission concluded that the Florida pompano had a healthy population in terms of size.

Where does a florida pompano live?

This fish lives in saltwater habitats in the ocean.

What is a florida pompano's habitat?

The florida pompano mostly lives in shallow areas of the Atlantic Ocean such as bays, shores, near beaches, and estuaries. It will generally not venture out to depths over 225 ft (69 m). A Florida pompano habitat is generally found in more saline waters with a temperature above 66° F (19° C). This fish likes to steer clear of deep, dark waters and remain near the sand. As the Florida pompano enjoys warm water, whole schools of the species migrate towards the north in the summer and towards the south in the fall and winter.

Who do florida pompanos live with?

Florida pompanos live in packs called schools, which can be either small or large.

How long does a florida pompano live?

Florida pompano fish usually live for between three and four years, with the oldest members of the species living until they are six to seven years old.

How do they reproduce?

Florida pompanos are oviparous, meaning they reproduce by laying eggs. They reproduce by a method called spawning in which the female releases eggs and the male fertilizes them outside of the body. Florida pompanos generally spawn in spring and summer, although this depends on the region. Florida pompano eggs are known as 'pelagic' which means they are transparent and light. Larvae hatch from the eggs and grow into full-sized fish.

What is their conservation status?

Florida pompanos are in the Least Concern category of conservation, meaning there is no concern over the size of their population. It has stable and widely distributed populations despite its popularity in fishing and cooking.

What do florida pompanos look like?

The florida pompano is a flat, medium-sized fish that belongs to the jack family. It is silver in color, with blue-greenish accents on its back and yellowish accents on the rest of its body and its fins. It has one dorsal fin, which is generally darker than the other fins, as well as pelvic and anal fins. In other words, it has one dark dorsal fin on its back, an anal fin on its belly, and fins on each of its horizontal and vertical sides. That's four fins in total! Another characteristic of the Florida pompano is its deeply forked tail.

The florida pompano is known as a 'compressed' fish as it is very flat. It has a flat, round nose (or snout) and its mouth almost reaches its eyes. This species of fish has very short, blunt teeth which it uses to eat crustaceans and mollusks.

* Please note that this is an image of a school of fish, not florida pompano fish specifically. If you have an image of a Flordia pompano, please let us know at [email protected]

How cute are they?

Although the florida pompano might not traditionally be considered cute, its round and compressed face and features give it a happy expression. It is an elegant fish that moves very gracefully in the ocean.

How do they communicate?

Methods of communication among these fish are not currently known, however, we do know that when caught, they will tenaciously put up a fight against their capture!

How big is a florida pompano?

The average florida pompano measures about 17 in (43 cm) long and is about 10 times shorter than the length of an elephant. The larger members of the species can measure up to 26 in (66 cm) long.

How fast can a florida pompano swim?

Although it is not known precisely how fast florida pompanos can swim, they are considered fast swimmers.

How much does a florida pompano weigh?

On average, the florida pompano weighs about 1 lb (0.5 kg), although the largest members of the species can weigh up to 9 lb (4.1 kg).

What are their male and female names of the species?

There are no separate names for male and female florida pompano fish.

What would you call a baby florida pompano?

In general, there is no different name for a baby florida pompano, although you could call it a juvenile florida pompano.

What do they eat?

The florida pompano diet consists mostly of other sea creatures like crustaceans and mollusks. When it is younger, its diet consists of small crabs, shrimp, plankton, or fish larvae.  An adult Florida pompano can eat clams, bigger crabs and crustaceans, worms, and even small fish.

Are they dangerous?

Florida pompano pose no threat to humans. They are relatively small and cannot harm us as they are non-venomous.

Would they make a good pet?

No, florida pompanos would not make very good pets. They are too big for traditional aquariums and live in vast stretches of water like the ocean!

Did you know...

The city of Pompano Beach in Florida is named after the florida pompano.

The florida pompano is sometimes referred to as the golden pompano due to the yellow tones on its body.

The florida pompano is also called the common pompano.

Florida pompano are popular fish for recreational and sport fishermen who catch them using a method called angling, where a hook is attached to a fishing line on a rod, either inshore or at sea, out of the surf. An angler who fishes pompanos uses light jigs and popping corks to catch them. In commercial fishing, schools of florida pompano are caught using gill nets and handlines. The fish are generally caught using live or dead bait and a live sand flea is believed to be the best bait for pompano fish (especially when catching pompano at the beach).

Most florida pompanos caught are less than 3 lb (1.4 kg). Florida pompano season really depends on where you live and the time of the year, as the pompano migrates to the north in summer and the south in the fall and winter.

Pompano en papillote is a popular dish from New Orleans where the fish is steamed in parchment paper with a white wine sauce, shrimp, and crab.

Where to catch florida pompano?

You can fish florida pompano along the east coast of the United States, from Massachusetts in the north all the way to Texas and, of course, Florida in the south. Recreational anglers in Florida can catch a limit of six florida pompano in one day. The Florida pompano can also be found in coastal areas of the Atlantic Ocean in Central and South America such as the Gulf of Mexico or the coasts of Brazil.

As florida pompano is a popular fish to cook and eat, it is often produced in aquaculture, or aquafarming, meaning the cultivation of fish under controlled conditions.

Eating Florida pompano

Florida pompano is a very popular fish to cook with as its fillets are generally even, which makes them easy to cook. It has a mild, white, and oily flesh and is the basis of a dish from New Orleans called pompano en papillote. Florida pompano can be expensive, with a fillet costing more than $17 in some places.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish including the common snook, or the convict cichlid.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our catfish coloring pages.