Maracaibo leatherjacket (Oligoplites palometa)

Scientific name: Oligoplites palometa Cuvier, 1832

Maracaibo leatherjacket (Oligoplites palometa)

The Maracaibo leatherjacket (Oligoplites palometa) is a freshwater fish of the family Carangidae. Native range: Western Atlantic, Lake Izabal, Guatemala eastward to Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Biology

Found mainly in brackish and fresh waters; also over muddy bottoms of coastal marine waters. May leap out of the water. A carnivorous fish that returns to the sea to reproduce. Bears venomous glands on dorsal and anal spines. Juveniles up to 8.2 cm FL feed mainly on scales taken from larger fishes, also on benthic and planktonic crustaceans, and to a minor extent on smaller fishes and polychaetes. Juveniles up to 3.0 cm TL adopt a dark brown color pattern while close to decaying plant fragments, an example of camouflage. Over open, detritus-free and light colored sandy bottom, adopts a contrasting yellowish and dark brown pattern, an example of warning colors. Its conspicuous colors are mimicked by juveniles of the non-venomous grunt Pomadasys ramosus.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Oligoplites palometa
Family
Carangidae (Jacks and pompanos)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
49.7
Common length
35.0
Depth range
18–45 m (59–148 ft)
Environment
Marine; freshwater; brackish; benthopelagic; depth range 18 - 45 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Western Atlantic: Lake Izabal, Guatemala eastward to Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Venomous
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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