Alexandria pompano
Alectis alexandrina
Permit
Trachinotus falcatus
About
The permit is a tall, silvery fish prized by anglers and easy for divers to spot cruising over sand flats. Its deeply forked tail and sharp, curved fins give it a fast, streamlined look.
Also known as: yellow-wax pompano, permit, permit fish, yellow-wax pompano
- Length
- 94 cm · max 1.2 m
- Weight
- max 36 kg
- Depth
- 0–30 m
How to tell it apart
The permit can be confused with other silvery jacks of a similar tall, flat shape. The dark lobes on the front of its dorsal and anal fins, paired with the orange-yellow patch on its belly, set it apart from similar species.
Appearance
This fish has a body that is tall and flattened from side to side, giving it a thin profile when seen head-on. Its dorsal fin curves back like a scythe, and both the dorsal and anal fins carry long, dark lobes near the front. The tail is deeply forked. Its pectoral fins are dark, and it has a broad orange-yellow patch on its belly just in front of the anal fin. It grows up to 122 cm, usually around 94 cm, and can weigh as much as 36 kg.
Habitat
It lives in shallow, tropical water over sand flats, muddy bottoms, channels, and around reefs, often close to shore. It ranges through the western Atlantic from Massachusetts down to Brazil, including most of the Caribbean. Young permit gather in the surf zone along sandy beaches.
Did you know?
The permit's species name, falcatus, is Latin for 'armed with scythes', a nod to the sharply curved shape of its dorsal and anal fins.
Log it in Into the Blue
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