Lichia amia
Also known as leerfish
The leerfish or garrick (Lichia amia) is a species of marine fish in the family Carangidae. It is the only extant member of the genus Lichia. It is native to much of the eastern Atlantic Ocean, from the Mediterranean and western Black Sea, north to France, and south along the coastal waters of western Africa, reaching as far south as eastern South Africa. They are an important species in coastal recreational fisheries, especially in Africa.
Species
Least Concerngarrick
SPECIES
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassTeleostei
- OrderPerciformes
- FamilyCarangidae
Habitatmarine, brackish
via GBIF · IUCN
Article
4 sectionsContents
- Taxonomy
- Fossil record
- Gallery
- References
The leerfish or garrick (Lichia amia) is a species of marine fish in the family Carangidae. It is the only extant member of the genus Lichia. It is native to much of the eastern Atlantic Ocean, from the Mediterranean and western Black Sea, north to France, and south along the coastal waters of western Africa, reaching as far south as eastern South Africa. They are an important species in coastal recreational fisheries, especially in Africa.
These fish can reach 1.5 m in length and more than 30 kg in weight. They inhabit the coastal wave zone where they form small shoals to hunt other smaller fish, favouring mullets. In South Africa, they primarily breed in estuaries and move to marine environments after maturation.