ΘΑΛΑΣΣΙΟ ΕΙΔΟΣ

Greater Amberjack

About

No venom and it doesn't attack. Caution is only needed during spearfishing - due to its enormous strength, a large fish can cause an accident if not secured properly.

Seriola dumerili is the largest member of the jack family (Carangidae) in the Mediterranean - a pelagic, fast-swimming predator that can exceed 70kg and 190cm in length. In Greece it's known as "Magiatiko" because it appears in large numbers in May; it isn't a tuna, though it's often mistakenly called "tuna".

Adults (20-190cm) have an elongated, hydrodynamic body with a blue-green back, silvery belly, and a characteristic dark diagonal stripe running from the eye to the start of the dorsal fin. Juveniles (5-30cm) are silvery-blue with 5-6 dark vertical bars and swim in small schools near floating objects, seaweed, or shallow sandy areas - this is the form swimmers most often encounter, at depths of 0-5m.

Juveniles favour sandy seabeds scattered with rocks at 0-10m, often at North Aegean beaches (Thermaikos, Halkidiki, Thrace) from July to September, while adults roam alone or in small groups over steep reefs, wrecks and rocky outcrops at 20-80m. It's a strict carnivore, feeding on small fish (picarel, sardines, mackerel), squid and crustaceans. It spawns during the summer months (June-August) in open, warm waters.

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