The horse-eye jack (''Caranx latus''), also known as the big-eye jack, is a

game fish Game fish, sport fish or quarry refer to popular fish pursued by recreational anglers, and can be freshwater or saltwater fish. Game fish can be eaten after being caught, or released after capture. Some game fish are also targeted commercial ...

and minor

commercial fish Commercial may refer to: * a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television) ** Radio advertisement ** Television advertisement * (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Carangidae The Carangidae are a family of ray-finned fish which includes the jacks, pompanos, jack mackerels, runners, and scads. It is the largest of the six families included within the order Carangiformes. Some authorities classify it as the only family ...

. Its appearance is similar to that of the

crevalle jack The crevalle jack (''Caranx hippos''), also known as the common jack, black-tailed trevally, couvalli jack, black cavalli, jack crevale, or yellow cavalli is a common species of large marine fish classified within the jack family, Carangidae. The ...

, although the horse-eye jack's head is not as blunt. The horse-eye jack is known to feed on smaller

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of ...

and on many

invertebrates Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordat ...

, such as shrimp and crab.

Taxonomy and phylogeny

The horse-eye jack is classified within the genus '' Caranx'', one of a number of groups known as the jacks or trevallies. ''Caranx'' itself is part of the larger jack and horse mackerel

, which in turn is part of the order

Carangiformes Carangiformes is an order of the ray-finned fishes. The order is part of a clade which is a sister clade to the Ovalentaria, the other orders in the clade being Synbranchiformes, Anabantiformes, Istiophoriformes and Pleuronectiformes. The Caran ...

. The horse-eye jack was first

scientifically described A species description is a formal description of a newly discovered species, usually in the form of a scientific paper. Its purpose is to give a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it differs from species that have be ...

in 1831 by the Swiss naturalist Louis Agassiz based on a specimen collected from the waters of

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. Agassiz published this description, along with a further three carangids, in a volume co-authored with the German

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...

Johann Baptist von Spix entitled ''Selecta Genera et Species Piscium Brasiliensium''. The specific epithet ''latus'' is

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

for 'broad', and may also refer to the flank of an animal. The new species was placed in the genus ''Caranx'', with one subsequent revision reassigning the species to ''Xurel'', now considered to be a junior synonym of ''

Carangoides ''Carangoides'' is a genus of tropical to subtropical marine fishes in the jack family, Carangidae. They are small- to large-sized, deep-bodied fish characterised by a certain gill raker and jaw morphology, often appearing very similar to jacks ...

''. In the same volume that ''C. latus'' was described, Agassiz also described ''Caranx lepturus'', which later examination revealed to be synonymous with ''C. latus''. Due to ''C. latus'' being described first in the publication, this name takes priority and relegates ''C. lepturus'' to junior synonymy. The species has been redescribed and named a further three times, all of which are similarly considered to be junior synonyms. The horse-eye jack is similar in appearance to the bigeye trevally (''Caranx sexfasciatus'') of the Indo-Pacific region, causing the American ichthyologist John Nichols to describe ''C latus'' as a 'form' of ''C. sexfasciatus''. This analysis is no longer accepted, with the two species considered separate. The horse-eye jack was included in a wide-ranging study of the

molecular systematics Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

of the Carangidae. In various analyses and models, ''C. latus'' always reliably placed in ''Caranx'', being basal to a clade consisting of '' C. vinctus'' and '' C. caninus''. The species is commonly known as the horse-eye jack or horse-eye crevalle in reference to the large eyes of the species. Other lesser used names include big-eye jack and false jack.

Description

The horse-eye jack is a large fish; it can grow to a maximum recorded length of 101 cm and a weight of 13.4 kg but is more common at lengths less than 60 cm. The horse-eye jack has a body form similar to other large jacks found throughout its range, with a moderately compressed elongate and deep body. The

dorsal Dorsal (from Latin ''dorsum'' ‘back’) may refer to: * Dorsal (anatomy), an anatomical term of location referring to the back or upper side of an organism or parts of an organism * Dorsal, positioned on top of an aircraft's fuselage * Dorsal c ...

profile becomes more strongly curved anteriorly, however the forehead is less blunt than the crevalle jack. The eyes are large in proportion to the rest of the head and covered by a well-developed

adipose eyelid An adipose eyelid is a transparent eyelid found in some species of fish, that covers some or all of the eye. They are most commonly found on deep sea (benthic) fish, but can also be seen on non-benthic fish. Fish with this feature include milkfish ...

, with the posterior extremity of the

jaw The jaw is any opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth, typically used for grasping and manipulating food. The term ''jaws'' is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serv ...

vertically under or past the posterior margin of the eye. The

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin located on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates within various taxa of the animal kingdom. Many species of animals possessing dorsal fins are not particularly closely related to each other, though through c ...

is in two parts, the first consisting of eight spines and the second of one spine followed by 19 to 22

soft rays Fish anatomy is the study of the form or morphology of fish. It can be contrasted with fish physiology, which is the study of how the component parts of fish function together in the living fish. In practice, fish anatomy and fish physiology co ...

. The anal fin consists of two anteriorly detached spines followed by one spine and 16 to 18 soft rays. The lobes of the soft dorsal and anal fins are elongated, and the pectoral fin is falcate and longer than the length of the head. The lateral line has a pronounced and moderately long anterior arch. The straight section contains 32 to 39 very strong

scute A scute or scutum (Latin: ''scutum''; plural: ''scuta'' "shield") is a bony external plate or scale overlaid with horn, as on the shell of a turtle, the skin of crocodilians, and the feet of birds. The term is also used to describe the anterior po ...

s, with bilateral keels present on the caudal peduncle. The chest is completely scaled. The upper jaw contains a series of strong outer canines with an inner band of smaller teeth, while the lower jaw contains a single row of teeth. The species has 22 to 25

gill raker Gill rakers in fish are bony or cartilaginous processes that project from the branchial arch (gill arch) and are involved with suspension feeding tiny prey. They are not to be confused with the gill filaments that compose the fleshy part of the ...

s in total and 24

vertebrae The spinal column, a defining synapomorphy shared by nearly all vertebrates, Hagfish are believed to have secondarily lost their spinal column is a moderately flexible series of vertebrae (singular vertebra), each constituting a characteristi ...

are present. Like the crevalle jack, the horse-eye jack is known to develop

hyperostosis Hyperostosis is an excessive growth of bone. It may lead to exostosis. It occurs in many musculoskeletal disorders. See also * Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is a condition characteri ...

in parts of its skeletal structure. Adult horse-eye jack are typically dark blue to silvery-blue above, becoming silvery white to golden below. In some individuals the tip of the soft dorsal fin lobe and the scutes may be dark blue to black. The

caudal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as ...

is yellow to dusky in color. Unlike the crevalle jack, there is no dark spot at the base of the pectoral fin, although but there may be dark spots on the

gill A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

covers. Juveniles exhibit a series of about five dark vertical bars on their flanks which fade with age.

Distribution

The horse-eye jack is commonly found in the

subtropic The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones to the north and south of the tropics. Geographically part of the temperate zones of both hemispheres, they cover the middle latitudes from to approximately 35° north and ...

Atlantic ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

from

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...

and the northern

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...

and south to

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...

. In the eastern Atlantic, it is found from St. Paul's Rocks to Ascension Island and, rarely, in the

Gulf of Guinea The Gulf of Guinea is the northeasternmost part of the tropical Atlantic Ocean from Cape Lopez in Gabon, north and west to Cape Palmas in Liberia. The intersection of the Equator and Prime Meridian (zero degrees latitude and longitude) is in ...

. It is a

pelagic The pelagic zone consists of the water column of the open ocean, and can be further divided into regions by depth (as illustrated on the right). The word ''pelagic'' is derived . The pelagic zone can be thought of as an imaginary cylinder or w ...

fish. It can be found on

reef A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes— deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock o ...

s and offshore oil rigs. The juvenile can be found closer to

shore A shore or a shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In physical oceanography, a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past a ...

along

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class o ...

y and muddy bottoms. The species may venture into

brackish Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estu ...

waters and can live in river mouths, but it is typically found in saltwater up to 140 m in depth. The adult horse-eye jack commonly swims with others in a

school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes comp ...

, either as one species or mixed with crevalle jack. Sometimes it also swims as a pair with a member of a very different species, such as '' Halichoeres radiatus'', a type of

wrasse The wrasses are a family, Labridae, of marine fish, many of which are brightly colored. The family is large and diverse, with over 600 species in 81 genera, which are divided into 9 subgroups or tribes. They are typically small, most of them le ...

Interaction with humans

David with his Horse-Eye Jack and Sea Cats

The fish is generally wary of

scuba divers This is a list of underwater divers whose exploits have made them notable. Underwater divers are people who take part in underwater diving activities – Underwater diving is practiced as part of an occupation, or for recreation, where t ...

; it will move slowly away as divers approach. However, schools have been known to crowd around divers, apparently attracted to the bubbles the diver exhales. Throughout its range, the Horse-eye jack is a popular

and food fish and consequently is the target of both commercial and recreational fisheries. The current IGFA All Tackle World Record for this species is 32 lbs (14.51 kg), caught by Terry Lee Ramsey in the

off

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, USA. Previous world records came from Ascension Island, UK;

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, USA; Cancun, Mexico, Miami Beach, Florida, USA; and Plantagenet Bank,

. They are commonly used as bait for larger species of game fish including

Atlantic Sailfish The Atlantic sailfish (''Istiophorus albicans'') is a species of marine fish in the family Istiophoridae of the order Istiophoriformes. It is found in the Atlantic Oceans and the Caribbean Sea, except for large areas of the central North Atla ...

Blue Marlin ''Makaira'' (Latin via Greek: ''μαχαίρα'' "sword") is a genus of marlin in the family Istiophoridae. It includes the Atlantic blue, and Indo-Pacific blue marlins. In the past, the black marlin was also included in this genus, but today ...

Tarpon Tarpons are fish of the genus ''Megalops''. They are the only members of the family Megalopidae. Of the two species, one (''M. atlanticus'') is native to the Atlantic, and the other (''M. cyprinoides'') to the Indo-Pacific Oceans. Species a ...

, and

Snook Snook, Snooks, or Snoek may refer to: Fishes * Family Centropomidae (snooks) ** Common snook * Family Esocidae (pikes) ** '' Haplochromis insidiae'' ** Northern pike * Family Gempylidae (snake mackerels) ** Blacksail snake mackerel or black ...

. Horse-eye jack have been identified as a significant carrier of the

ciguatera Ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP), also known simply as ciguatera, is a foodborne illness caused by eating reef fish whose flesh is contaminated with certain toxins. Such individual fish are said to be ciguatoxic. Symptoms may include diarrhea, vom ...

toxin and so should be consumed with caution, if at all. The toxins C-CTX-1 and C-CTX-2 of this fish are potent, both have an LD50 of 3.6 μg / kg and 1 μg / kg respectively.

References

Horse-eye Jacks, ''Caranx latus''.
MarineBio Conservation Society. Web. Accessed June 1, 2013. *Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds
''Caranx latus''.
FishBase. 2011. *Feitoza, B. M., et al. (2003)
Reef fishes of St. Paul's Rocks: New records and notes on biology and zoogeography.
''aqua'' 7(2) 61-82.

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q2701811

horse-eye jack The horse-eye jack (''Caranx latus''), also known as the big-eye jack, is a game fish and minor commercial fish in the family Carangidae. Its appearance is similar to that of the crevalle jack, although the horse-eye jack's head is not as blunt. ...

Fish of the Eastern United States Fish of the Western Atlantic