Palometa

PALOMETA - Trachinotus goodei Family Carangidae, JACKS AND POMPANOS

Description: gray to blue-green on top of head and along the back; bright silvery sides; yellow on breast; elongated dorsal and anal fins, dusky or black with bluish edges; deep body, with four narrow bars high on the sides, and traces of a fifth nearer the tail; no scutes.
Similar fish: pompano, T. carolinus; permit, T. falcatus.
Where found: in clear water along sandy beaches and bays, occasionally found over reefs; most common in south Florida.
Size: rarely over 1 pound, reported to 3 pounds.
Remarks: thought to spawn offshore in spring, summer, and fall; has shown rapid growth in mariculture experiments; readily strikes small artificial lures.