RARE FISHES (Notes)

11 October 2014 A splendidly marked Almaco Jack, Seriola rivoliana, was caught by angler Scott Shepherd from a boat out of Ilfracombe, North Devon. It was a large specimen weighing 1 lb 14 oz and it was returned to sea. This Caribbean fish is rarely recorded in British seas. The rare fish was caught on Mackerel strips with a catch that included Conger Eels, Bass, Pollack, Huss and Tope.   Report by Alan Shepherd on South Coast Fishing  facebook

15 October 2011
A record rod and line caught Almaco Jack, Seriola rivoliana, was landed by angler Brent Hanley on a mark near Hanois, Guernsey, the fish weighed 1 lb 14 oz 3 drm (= 856 grams) and this beats the previous best for the species by nearly 7oz: a record set by C.Torode off Grandes Rocques, back in 2007 with a fish of 1 lb 7 oz 12 drm. It was caught on a bait of Sand-eels. This Caribbean fish is rarely recorded in British seas.
Total Sea Fishing Report
 

The fish was difficult to identify because only gill raker count agreed with Almaco Jack, Seriola rivoliana.  The fish had suffered juvenile injury and was missing dorsal rays although ray membrane was complete.
 

TL 415 mm
FL 364 mm
SL 328 mm
 

Total weight on Saturday 15 October 2011 - day of capture 1 lb. 14 oz 3 drams
Total weight at 1430 on 17 October 2011 on digital scale 856 grams

Almaco Jack
Photographs by Richard Lord (Guernsey)
All Rights Reserved © RLLord
Sealord Photography

Head length 93 mm
 

Dorsal fin i,V,I,23 with gap after soft ray 5, and then 18 rays following.
 

To interpret my notation - A rudimentary bump under the skin (presumably a buried spine), five well defined spines, then a gap, one spine, followed by 23 rays.
 

Second dorsal fin base length 14.2 cm
 

Second anal fin base length 10.2 cm
 

Anal fin II, I, 20
 

(Two spines, followed by a gap and one spine and 20 rays)
 

Length of second dorsal fin lobe 58 mm
Length of Pectoral fin 53 mm
 

Left side, first gill arch - lower limb 18, upper limb 8 - total gill rakers 26
right side, first gill arch - lower limb 17 + 1 rudiment, upper limb 8 - total gill rakers 25 (26)
 

Pectoral fin rays 20
 

Using "Fishes of the North-Eastern Atlantic & Mediterranean" Volume II -
 

Page 818 -
 

18 a - caudal peduncle grooves present - (yes) but anal fin base about 72 % of length of second dorsal fin base (not 45 to 70%) ->   19
19 b - no finlets, upper jaw ending below anterior margin of eye or about middle of eye (yes) -> 20
20 b - First dorsal fin spines 7 or 8 (cannot be determined), soft rays of anal fin 18 -22 (yes) -> 21
21 a - length of second dorsal fin lobe about 1.3 to 1.6 times longer than P1 (18 -22 % of fork length) (no) -> Seriola rivoliana
 

21 b - second dorsal fin lobe about equal to or 10-15% shorter than P1 (11-18% fork length) -> 22
 

(specimen - D2 height 58mm/ P1 length 53mm =  second dorsal fin lobe length 9 % longer than P1 and 15.9 % of fork length.)
 

22 a - end of upper jaw relatively slender -> Seriola fasciata (NO)
 

22 b - end of upper jaw relatively broad, length of second dorsal fin lobe about equal or slightly longer than P1 (13-18% fork length) (YES) -> 23
 

23 a - Seriola dumerili - > total gill rakers 11 to 19  (NO)
23 b - Seriola carpenteri -> total gill rakers 19 to 23 (NO)
 

So in summary - based on the ratio of the length of the second dorsal fin lobe this fish could be S. dumerili or S. carpenteri - but not on gill raker count.  Based on gill raker count (25 to 26) this fish is an almaco jack, Seriola rivoliana.

August 2010

July 2010
A possible Greater Amberjack, Seriola dumerili, identified as a Almaco Jack, Seriola rivoliana, was caught by an angler off Sennen Cove, Cornwall.

Only twelve of this fish have ever been recorded caught around the British Isles dating from the first one caught off Salcombe in Devon in 1951. It can be mistaken for the rarely caught Guinean Amberjack, Seriola carpenteri. (This species was only described in 1971.) The differences between the Greater Amberjack and the Guinean Amberjack are minor. They differ in gill raker count and ratio of second dorsal fin lobe height to fork length ratio.

The Greater Amberjack caught by Steve Fallaize had the following measurements.

Total length 376 mm
Fork length 328 mm
Standard length 299 mm
D  VII, I, 29
A II, I, 19
Second dorsal fin lobe height 54 mm
Pectoral fin length 51 mm

Gill rakers on first gill arch 18 + 1 rudiment
 
 

Update, December 2007
The amberjack caught by George Staples on September 7 is now almost certainly a Guinean Amberjack, Seriola carpenteri.  This species was only described in 1971. The differences between the Greater Amberjack and the Guinean Amberjack are minor. They differ in gill raker count and ratio of second dorsal fin lobe height to fork length ratio.  They may also reach different maximum sizes.  I don't know how valid the Guinean Amberjack as a species is.

I received a FAX from J.C. Quero at IFREMER in Brest last Friday. He received an amberjack last Thursday that was caught off Brest, Brittany and he has identified it as a Guinean amberjack. He has also heard of another capture off Brest in the same week but has not seen the fish or received a photograph of it so the second Brittany record is uncorroborated.

A Guernsey fisherman also caught another Amberjack, again uncorroborated. Len Le Page, angling correspondent for The Guernsey Press and organiser of fishing club competitions, called on Saturday night to tell me that Bas Gaudion (tel: 01481 255603) caught a fish on September 11, 2000 that looked just like George Staples' amberjack. He caught it trolling for mackerel using a mackerel tail strip as bait north-east of Roque au Nord to the North-East of L'Ancresse Bay, Guernsey. He brought the fish home to his wife to cook it for dinner but 'she didn't like the look of it' so he took it back to the beach and used it as bait.  He looked in a fish book to try and identify the fish but wasn't able to find the fish and didn't think anymore about it until he saw Len Le Page's article about George Staples' Amberjack in the Guernsey Press on 13/9/00. He said his fish looked exactly like the photograph of the amberjack in the newspaper. Bas Gaudion used to be a professional fisherman. He has fished for 60 years.
 

7 October 2007
 

Guernsey commercial fisherman Rick Ferbrache netted a 826 gram Guinean Amberjack, Seriola carpenteri (originally though to be an Almaco Jack, Seriola rivoliana), off the north-west coast of Guernsey.  Rick told me the fish was netted about 1.5 miles off Rousse at the Hoffet off Guernsey’s north-west coast in about 20 metres of water.
The fish had a total length of 407 mm, FL 352 mm.
First gill arch of left side had LL 17 + 1 rudiment + UL 8 = 25 gill rakers in total excluding rudiment. Gill raker count on the right side LL 17 but upper limb had damaged gill rakers.
D1, VII
D2 I,29
A II, I, 21
The fish weighed 1.80 lb at the time of pick-up on the commercial scales of Phoenix Fish Company, Guernsey.

Richard Lord
Email: fishinfo@guernsey.net
http://www.sealordphotography.net

Caribbean fish found off Cornwall

The Almaco Jack, Seriola rivoliana is used to basking in warmer waters
A fish that normally lives in the Caribbean has been caught by a fisherman in Cornish waters.
The Almaco Jack was caught just off Crantock in north Cornwall by Newquay fisherman Phil Trebilcock.

Marine experts believe the catch, believed to be only the fifth Almaco Jack in British waters, is another sign of global warming.

The fish had a total length of 375 mm.
Fork length 325 mm
Second dorsal fin lobe height 56 mm
Pectoral fin length 50 mm measured on the outside of the fin and 45 mm measured along the inside of the fin (armpit measurement.)

D1, VII
D2 I,31
A II, I,21
 

I have misplaced my callipers so the accuracy of my dorsal lobe and pectoral fin length measurements is questionable.  I used the tape in the photo for measuring these short lengths.

What made me think this is an Almaco Jack, Seriola rivoliana, is the gill raker count on the first gill arch.  Lower lobe – 17 and upper lobe 8 not including rudiments giving a count of 25 which matches only Seriola rivoliana and Seriola fasciata in British waters.

Mark Harding from Alderney Angling has received a photo from a UK angler of another Seriola Jack.  He is sending me the photo.  I will find out the location and date of capture.
 

Richard Lord
Email: fishinfo@guernsey.net
http://www.sealordphotography.net
 

Recreational charter boat captain Chris Tett ( )

sent a photo of a Seriola jack to Mark Harding of Alderney Angling who forwarded the photo on to me.

 I spoke with Chris Tett this morning.  The Seriola in the attached photo was captured on 20 August 2007 at the entrance to Chichester harbour.  (Chris may be able to provide an exact location.)  Chris thinks a rag worm was used for bait.  Chris said this fish was captured by a neighbouring boat.  A photograph was taken and the fish was returned to the sea.  The angler wanted to know the name of the fish, which is why the photo was taken.  Chris has the name of the angler.

Does this Chichester harbour fish represent the furthest eastern record of a Seriola jack in the English Channel.  (Can you confirm this Doug?)

For permission to use the attached image on a web site please contact Chris Tett by visiting his web site.

Richard Lord
Email: fishinfo@guernsey.net

http://www.sealordphotography.net

PS:

Dr. William Smith-Vaniz confirmed by email that the fish caught in Chichester harbour in his words is “Definitely Seriola rivoliana.”
 

Hi Richard:

Based on available data, I would tentatively identify this fish as Seriola rivoliana.  However, at this size S. carpenteri and S. rivoliana are very difficult to distinguish.  In larger fish, ca. 40-50 cm FL, the relative height of the dorsal fin lobe and the shape of the maxilla/supramaxilla can be confidently used to identify these two species.  But because both characters are subject to allometric growth changes and not enough data are available of smaller size S. carpenteri, I am hesitant to base positive identification solely on them or on the number of gill rakers.  To be absolutely confident of the identification it would be necessary to examine the profile of the first anal-fin pterygiophore either by dissection or from a radiograph.  In S. rivoliana this pterygiophore is always virtually straight but in S. carpenteri it is moderately curved in lateral view.

I would be interested to know if this character was checked in any of the supposed records of S. carpenteri from Great Britain.

In the future, please use my new and preferred gmail address for future contact: smithvaniz@gmail.com

Sincerely,
 

<><   <><   <><   <><   <><   <><
William F. Smith-Vaniz, Ph.D.
U. S. Geological Survey
Florida Integrated Science Center
7920 NW 71st Street
Gainesville, Florida 32653-3701
Tel: (352) 264-3544
FAX: (352) 378-4956
e-mail: bill_smith-vaniz@usgs.gov
______________________________
Only the present can preserve the past for the future.

George Staples, a recreational fisherman fishing for black bream, landed a Greater  Amberjack, Seriola dumerili, (see below) on September 7, 2000 at 1500 to the East of Herm Island at a fishing mark called Noir Pute about 1.5 miles from Belvoir bay. He was fishing in 25 to 45 metres of water depth. (The water depth is very variable at the mark.) The amberjack took a sand eel bait.

The fish came into my possession this morning after a call from a local wholesaler last night. As it was caught on rod & reel I have informed the angling committee as it is possibly an angling record. (I am not interested in angling but as the fish is probably a Guernsey record he will get a free tankard and probably some other prizes!!!)

Last night the fish weighed 0.65 Kilograms on the wholesaler's scale.
The angling committee weighed the fish on their scale this morning and recorded a weight of 1 lb. 6 oz. 10 drams
My digital scale accurate to 1 gram weighed the fish at 645 grams.

For identification purposes I made some measurements:

Fork length 33.0 cm
2nd. Dorsal fin lobe height 5.375 cm
Anal fin base length 9.2 cm
Dorsal fin base length 14.5 cm
Gill rakers, first gill arch, left side 19 (not including rudiments)

I will photograph the fish this afternoon and make more detailed measurements.

Records of Greater Amberjack (Fishbase Entry) from your area would be of great interest.

Best Wishes,
Yours sincerely,
Richard
Richard Lord
Guernsey GY1 1BQ
Great Britain

Email:  fishinfo@guernsey.net
Tel: +44 (0)1481 700688
Fax: +44 (0)1481 700699

Dear Andy and Doug:

The amberjack caught by George Staples on September 7 is now almost certainly a Guinean Amberjack, Seriola carpenteri.  This species was only described in 1971.  The differences between the Greater Amberjack and the Guinean Amberjack are minor. They differ in gill raker count and ratio of second dorsal fin lobe height to fork length ratio.  They may also reach different maximum sizes.  I don't know how valid the Guinean amberjack as a species is.

I received a FAX from J.C. Quero at IFREMER in Brest last Friday. He received an amberjack last Thursday that was caught off Brest, Brittany and he has identified it as a Guinean amberjack. He has also heard of another capture off Brest in the same week but has not seen the fish or received a photograph of it so the second Brittany record is uncorroborated.

A Guernsey fisherman also caught another Amberjack, again uncorroborated. Len Le Page, angling correspondent for The Guernsey Press and organiser of fishing club competitions, called on Saturday night to tell me that Bas Gaudion (tel: 01481 255603) caught a fish on September 11, 2000 that looked just like George Staples' amberjack. He caught it trolling for mackerel using a mackerel tail strip as bait north-east of Roque au Nord to the North-East of L'Ancresse Bay, Guernsey. He brought the fish home to his wife to cook it for dinner but 'she didn't like the look of it' so he took it back to the beach and used it as bait.  He looked in a fish book to try and identify the fish but wasn't able to find the fish and didn't think anymore about it until he saw Len Le Page's article about George Staples' Amberjack in the Guernsey Press on 13/9/00. He said his fish looked exactly like the photograph of the amberjack in the newspaper. Bas Gaudion used to be a professional fisherman. He has fished for 60 years.

Best Wishes,
Yours sincerely,
Richard
Richard Lord
Guernsey GY1 1BQ
Great Britain

Email:  fishinfo@guernsey.net
Tel: +44 (0)1481 700688
Fax: +44 (0)1481 700699

The Fishes of the North-eastern Atlantic of the Mediterranean Vol. 11. keys the fish out to  Guinean amberjack, Seriola carpenteri.  The fish has been posted to Alwyne Wheeler for confirmation of the identification.  Meanwhile I would like a little help to confirm my identification.  Hopefully I have provided sufficient information below for someone to help me. If not please let me know what other information would be useful. I was not able to cut open the fish because it may become a British angling record!!!! but I did make a page full of measurements and notes that I have not included below.

Total weight 645 grams on Sept. 8 at 1130
TL  383 mm
FL  333 mm
Head length 79.9mm

D VII, I, 31
A II, 1, 19
P1  14
D2 base length 144 mm
D2 lobe height 53.5 mm
A2 base length 93 mm
Gill rakers first gill arch, lower limb 17(+1 rudiment) and upper limb 6 = 23

My reasoning for thinking the fish is Seriola carpenteri:
Using keys for carangidae from UNESCOs Fishes of the NE Atlantic & Med. Vol 11, pages 815 - 844:

Fish has no scutes -> teeth in both jaws minute and closely set in a dense band; chest completely scaled -> caudal peduncle grooves present, dorsally and ventrally, soft anal fin base only about 45 - 70 % of soft dorsal fin base (93/144 = 64%) -> no finlets in dorsal & anal fins, upper jaw ending below anterior margin of eye -> first dorsal fin spines 7, soft rays of anal fin 18 -22 ( actually 19) -> length of second dorsal fin lobe relatively short, about equal to P1 (53.5 vs 50.0 mm) (11-18% FL) (actually 16% FL) -> End of upper jaw relatively broad, length of D2 fin lobe about equal or slightly longer than P1 (P1 50.7 mm vs D2 fin lobe 53.5 mm), (D2 fin lobe height 13 - 18% of FL) (actually 16%) -> total gill rakers (excluding rudiments) 19-23 (actually 23); in adults, length of D2 fin lobe 15-18% FL (16%); 7 or 8 (frequently 8) spines in spinous dorsal fin (actually 7) -> Guinean amberjack - Seriola carpenteri.

When measuring second dorsal fin lobe height does one measure the perpendicular height of the fin from the body or the length of the anterior margin of the fin?  I understand that the greater amberjack, Seriola dumerili, loses gillrakers with age.  Can a greater amberjack ever have 23 gill rakers on the first gill arch?  I cut some gill filaments off the first gill arch and preserved them in ethanol for possible DNA analysis and I have also taken photographs of the fish, which I would be happy to email to those who can help me with the identification. The UNESCO volume (page 837) mentions a record for Seriola carpenteri off the West Coast of France (45.30 North 2.05 West) by Quero, 1986). Have there been more recent records of Seriola carpenteri in NE Atlantic waters?

Yours sincerely,
Richard
Richard Lord
Guernsey GY1 1BQ
Great Britain

Email:  fishinfo@guernsey.net
Tel: +44 (0)1481 700688
Fax: +44 (0)1481 700699

7 September 2000
George Staples, a recreational fisherman fishing for Black Sea-Bream, Spondyliosoma cantharus, landed a Guinean Amberjack, Seriola carpenteri, originally identified as a Greater Amberjack, Seriola dumerili, to the east of Herm Island (Channel Islands, east of Guernsey) at a fishing mark called Noir Pute about 1.5 miles from Belvoir Bay.

He was fishing in 25 to 45 metres of water depth (the water depth is very variable at the mark). The Amberjack took a sand eel bait. The fish weighed 645 grams. This Amberjack is previously unknown in the English Channel. The identification has been confirmed by Alwyne Wheeler.
On 11 September 2000, Bas Gaudion also caught an identical fish north-east of Roque au Nord to the north-east of L'Ancresse Bay, Guernsey.

Fishbase Entry