Family POMATOMIDAE

Pomatomidae

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Introduction

The family Pomatomidae comprises a single species, Pomatomus saltatrix, known as tailor or bluefish. It is found in the subtropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic and Indo-west Pacific. Pomatomus saltatrix has not been reviewed on a worldwide basis, although Goodbred (1996) reported on genetic features of various populations and the single species was treated by Collette (1999).

Tailor is a voracious, fast-moving, pelagic schooling fish. Fishes are their primary food. The body is elongate and robust, the jaws are large, extending to the posterior margin of the eye with a row of strong, conical teeth and there are two dorsal fins. It is of some commercial importance as a game and food fish. Tailor attains a length of 1.3 m.

Although, Pomatomus saltator is regarded as the masculine form of saltatrix, most authors use the name saltatrix (Eschmeyer 1998).

General References

Collette, B.B. 1999. Family Pomatomidae. 2650 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 4 pp. 2069-2790.

Eschmeyer, W.N. 1998. Catalog of Fishes. San Francisco : California Academy of Sciences 2905 pp., 3 vols.

Goodbred, C.O. & Graves, J.E. 1996. Genetic relationships among geographically isolated populations of bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix. Marine and Freshwater Research 47: 347-355

Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & Allen, G.R. 2006. Fishes. In, Beesley, P.L. & Wells, A. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 35. Volume 35 Australia : ABRS & CSIRO Publishing Parts 1-3, 2178 pp. [1133]

Common Name References

Collette, B.B. 1999. Family Pomatomidae. 2650 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 4 pp. 2069-2790. [2650] (FAO) (Bluefish)

Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 437 pp. [167] (Tailor)

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