Skip to content
Atlantic tarpon

Image by paulbr75 on Pixabay · Pixabay License

EntityQ756975· pop 29· linked from 74 articles

Atlantic tarpon

Sign in to save

Also known as Megalops atlanticus, Tarpon, Silver king

species of fish

Species

Vulnerable

tarpon

Species

  1. PhylumChordata
  2. ClassTeleostei
  3. OrderElopiformes
  4. FamilyMegalopidae
Habitatmarine, brackish, freshwater

via IUCN

~7 min read

Encyclopedic overview

The Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) is a ray-finned fish that inhabits coastal waters, estuaries, lagoons, and rivers. It is also known as the silver king. It is found in the Atlantic Ocean, typically in tropical and subtropical regions, though it has been reported as far north as Nova Scotia and the Atlantic coast of southern France, and as far south as Argentina. As with all elopiformes, it spawns at sea. Its diet includes small fish and crustaceans.

The tarpon has a reputation for great aerobatics, attaining astonishing size, and having impressive armored scales. It is generally considered to be of poor food quality, but it is highly valued as a game fish by recreational fishermen.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Atlantic tarpon” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (2)