Brama caribbea, the Caribbean pomfret, is a species of marine

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or hor ...

, a

pomfret Pomfrets are perciform fishes belonging to the family Bramidae. The family currently includes 20 species across seven genera. Several species are important food sources for humans, especially ''Brama brama'' in South Asia. The earlier form of t ...

of the

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

Bramidae Pomfrets are perciform fishes belonging to the family Bramidae. The family currently includes 20 species across seven genera. Several species are important food sources for humans, especially ''Brama brama'' in South Asia. The earlier form of t ...

. It is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

Description

''Brama caribbea'' can be distinguished from congeners through the following characteristics: *Possessing pectoral fins that are placed high on the body in both juvenile ‘’and’’ adult stages *Having relatively short ventral fins *Possessing fewer than 60 scales in a horizontal series between the gill opening and caudal fin base *Having a total number of vertebrae equaling 38 or fewer (modally 36) *Having 19–21 pectoral fin rays

Distribution

''Brama caribbea'', appears to be more closely associated with landmasses than its congeners, specifically those associated with the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

(from which its name is derived) and the Northeastern coastal 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 ...

Diet

''Brama caribbea'' consumes a range of food items, but primarily forages for crustaceans (~48% of their diet, largely being euphausiacids and '' Brachyscelus crusculum)'', fishes (28%, primarily myctophids and ''

Acanthurus ''Acanthurus'' is a genus of fish in the family Acanthuridae found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean. They are found in tropical oceans, especially near coral reefs, with most species in the Indo-Pacific but a few are found in the Atla ...

'' species), and cephalopods (15%, including enoploteuthids and ommastrephids).

Reproduction

''Brama caribbea''

spawns Spawn is the eggs and sperm released or deposited into water by aquatic animals. As a verb, ''to spawn'' refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, and the act of both sexes is called spawning. Most aquatic animals, except for aquat ...

during the winter, beginning in late August and ending in May, and appears to occur throughout the distribution of the species rather than a central location. However, data are limited.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2048155

caribbea The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

Fish described in 1972