The bigeye scad (''Selar crumenophthalmus'') is an
oceanic fish found in
tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
regions around the globe.
Other common names include purse-eyed scad, goggle-eyed scad, akule, chicharro, charrito ojón, jacks, matang baka, mushimas and coulirou.
[ The bigeye scad is fished commercially, both for human consumption and for bait.]
Description
The bigeye scad is blue-green or green on its back and sides and white on the underside. It grows to about 15 inches (38 cm) long and feeds on small invertebrate
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 chordate ...
s, fish larvae
Ichthyoplankton (from Greek: ἰχθύς, , "fish"; and πλαγκτός, , "drifter") are the eggs and larvae of fish. They are mostly found in the sunlit zone of the water column, less than 200 metres deep, which is sometimes called the epip ...
, and zooplankton
Zooplankton are the animal component of the planktonic community ("zoo" comes from the Greek word for ''animal''). Plankton are aquatic organisms that are unable to swim effectively against currents, and consequently drift or are carried along by ...
. It is a schooling fish, it is mostly nocturnal
Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite.
Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...
, and it prefers clean, clear insular waters.
Uses
The bigeye scad are fished commercially; the global catches are about 200 thousand tonnes per year.[ They are highly valued as food in Asian and Pacific cultures.][ In ]Maldivian cuisine
Maldivian cuisine, also called Dhivehi cuisine, is the cuisine of the Nation of Maldives and of Minicoy, India. The traditional cuisine of Maldivians is based on three main items and their derivatives: coconuts, fish and starches.
Coconuts
T ...
it is known as ''mushimas'' and commonly eaten in garudhiya
Garudiya or ''Garudhiya'' (ގަރުދިޔަ) is a clear fish broth. It is one of the basic and traditional food items of Maldivian cuisine. The broth is based on tuna species found in the nation's ocean waters such as skipjack ''(kanḍumas o ...
or fried.Xavier Romero-Frias
Xavier or Xabier may refer to:
Place
* Xavier, Spain
People
* Xavier (surname)
* Xavier (given name)
* Francis Xavier (1506–1552), Catholic saint
** St. Francis Xavier (disambiguation)
* St. Xavier (disambiguation)
* Xavier (footballer, born ...
, ''The Maldive Islanders, A Study of the Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean Kingdom'', Barcelona 1999, [
]
Parasites
Parasites of the bigeye scad include the philometrid nematode
The nematodes ( or grc-gre, Νηματώδη; la, Nematoda) or roundworms constitute the phylum Nematoda (also called Nemathelminthes), with plant-Parasitism, parasitic nematodes also known as eelworms. They are a diverse animal phylum inhab ...
''Philometra selaris
''Philometra'' is a genus of nematodes, which are parasites of marine and freshwater fishes. The genus was erected by Oronzio Gabriele Costa in 1845.
Species in this genus are worldwide. They parasitize the body cavities, tissues and ovaries of ...
'', which lives inside the ovary
The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. ...
of the females.[ ]
References
External links
*
Australian Museum Fish Site species page
Guam Department of Agriculture's Division of Aquatic & Wildlife Resources species page
Bigeye scad stock video footage
*
{{Authority control
bigeye scad
Pantropical fish
bigeye scad