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Biological Report 82(11.42) 

April 1088 

TR EL=82-4 

Species Profiles: Life Histories and 

Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes 

and Invertebrates (South Florida) 

FLORIDA POMPANO 

QL 

155 

.S63 

no. 82 

11.42 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Coastal Ecology Group 

Waterways Experiment Station 

. 

U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

BRoL;gA;a: Report 82(11.42) 

_ _ 

April 1986 

Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements 

of Coastal Fishes and Invertebrates (South Florida) 

FLORIDA POMPANO 

Carter Gilbert 

Florida State Museum 

University of Florida 

Gainesville, FL 32611 

Project Officer 

John Parsons 

National Coastal Ecosystems Team 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

1010 Gause Boulevard 

Slidell, LA 70458 

Performed for 

Coastal Ecology Group 

Waterways Experiment Station 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

Vicksburg, MS 39180 

and 

National Coastal Ecosystems Team 

Division of Biological Services 

Research and Development 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

U.S. Department of the Interior 

Washington, DC 20240 
DISCLAIMER 

The mention of trade names in this report does not constitute endorsement or 

recommendation for use by the Federal Government. 

This series should be referenced as follows: 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1983-19 . Species profiles: life histories 

and environmental requirements of coasta fishes and invertebrates. U.S. Fish 

Wildl. Serv. Biol. Rep. 82(11). U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, TR EL-82-4. 

This profile should be cited as follows: 

Gilbert, C. 1986. Species profiles: life histories and environmental 

requirements of coastal fishes and invertebrates (south Florida)--Florida 

pompano. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv. Biol. Rep. aZ(11.42 ). U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, TR EL-82-4. 14 PP. 
PREFACE 

This species profile is one of a series on coastal aquatic organisms, 

principally fish, of sport, commercial, or ecological importance. The profiles 

are designed to provide coastal managers, engineers, and biologists with a brief 

tomprehensive sketch of the biological characteristics and environmental 

requirements of the species and to describe how populations of the species may be 

expected to react to environmental changes caused by coastal development. Each 

profile has sections on taxonomy, life history, ecological role, environmental 

requirements, and economic importance, if applicable. A three-ring binder is 

used for this series so that new profiles can be added as they are prepared. 

This project is jointly planned and financed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Suggestions or questions regarding this report should be directed to one of 

the following addresses. 

Information Transfer Specialist 

National Coastal Ecosystems Team 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

NASA-Slide11 Computer Complex 

1010 Gause Boulevard 

Slidell, LA 70458 

or 

U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station 

Attention: WESER-C 

Post Office Box 631 

Vicksburg, MS 39180 

iii 
Mu1 tip1y JY To Obtain 

mill imeters mn 

centimeters t aa 1 

meters (m) 

kilometers (km) 

square meters (m*) 

square kilometers 

hectares (ha) 

(bn2) 

0.03937 inches 

0.3937 Inches 

3.281 feet 

0.6214 Qiles 

10.76 square feet 

0.3861 square miles 

2.471 acres 

liters (1) 

cubic meters (m3) 

0.2642 

35.31 

cubic meters 0.0008110 

gallons 

cubic feet 

acre-feet 

milligrams (mg) 0.00003527 ounces 

grams (9) 0.03527 ounces 

kilograms (k 

metric tons 9 

) 2.205 pounds 

t) 2205.0 pounds 

metric tons 1.102 short tons 

kilocalories (kcal) 3.968 British thermal units 

Celsius degrees 1.8(Y) + 32 Fahrenhelt degrees 

inches 25.40 millimeters 

inches 2.54 centimeters 

feet (ft) 0.3048 meters 

fathoms 1.829 meters 

miles (mi) 1.609 kilometers 

nautical miles (rmi) 1.852 kilaneters 

square feet (ft2) 

acres 

square miles (mi2) 

0.0929 square meters 

0.4047 hectares 

2.590 square kilometers 

gallons (gal) 3.785 liters 

cubic feet (ft3) 0.02831 cubic meters 

acre-feet 1233.0 cubic meters 

ounces !wj 

pourKls (lb) 

short tons (ton) 

CONVERSION TABLE 

Metric to U.S. Custaary 

U.S. Customary to Metric 

28.35 

0.4536 

0.9072 

British thermal units (Btu) 0.2520 

Fahrenheit degrees 0.5556(“F - 32) 

iV 

grams 

kilograms 

metric tons 

kilocalories 

Celsius degrees 
CONTENTS 

Page 

PREFACE ................................. iii 

CONVERSION TABLE ............................ iv 

NOMENCLATURE/TAXONOMY/RANGE ....................... 1 

MORPHOLOGY AND IDENTIFICATION AIDS ................... 

REASONS FOR INCLUSION IN SERIES ..................... i 

LIFEHISTORY .............................. 

Spawning ............................... z 

Larval Stage 

Postlarvae and'Juveniles' : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : t 

Maturity and Life Span ........................ 5 

GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS ......................... 5 

FISHERY ................................. 5 

Quantity and Value of Commercial Fisheries .............. 5 

Value and Palatability of Florida Pompano ............... 6 

Mariculture Potential ......................... 8 

ECOLOGICAL ROLE ............................. 8 

ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS ....................... 

Temperature .............................. ; 

Salinity ............................... 9 

Depth 

Substrate ................................................................ 

;; 

Other Environmental Factors ...................... 11 

LITERATURE CITED . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

I thank Martin Moe, Aqualife Research Corp., Marathon, Florida, and John 

Sinucane, National Marine Fisheries Service, Panama City, Florida, for helpful 

reviews. 

vi 
Figure 1. Florida pompano (from Hildebrand and Schroeder 1928). 

FLORIDA POMPANO 

NOMENCLATURE/TAXONOMY/RANGE 

Scientific name . . . Trachinotus Elinus (Linnaeus) 

Preferred common name . . . . . . . Florida 

pompano (Figure 1) 

Other common names . . . Pompano, common 

pompano, Atlantic pompano, 

"sunfish," Pompaneau sole (Fr-.), 

Pampano amarillo (Sp.) 

Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Osteichthyes 

Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Perciformes 

Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carangidae 

Geographic Range: Coastal waters from 

Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to southeastern Brazil. Uncommon north 

of Chesapeake Bay; especially 

common along the Florida coast. 

Widely distributed but uncommon 

among West Indian islands that have 

continental-type ecological conditions (e.g., Jamaica and Puerto 

Rico). Erroneously reported for 

;;;in;da (Berry and Smith-Vaniz 

. Areas of major fishing 

catches of Florida pompano in the 

south Florida region are shown in 

Figure 2. 

MORPHOLOGY AND IDENTIFICATION AIDS 

The following is largely 

extracted from Berry and Smith-Vaniz 

(1978). Dorsal fin rays VI + I, 22 to 

27 (usually 23 to 25); anal fin rays 

II + I, 20 to 24 (usually 21 or 22); 

no teeth on tongue at any size; no 

enlargement of second to fourth ribs; 

no dark vertical bars on upper half of 

body; anterior-most dorsal and anal 

rays not notably elongated in adults 

and subadults, not extending posteriorly to base of caudal fin; maximum 

tqtal length (TL) and weight about 

63.5 cm and 7.5 lb; individuals over 

4 lb rare (Buckow 1965). The record 

pompano caught by angling in Florida 

weighed 10 lb, 5 oz (Florida Conservation News 1976 Vol. 10, p. 12).y 

shortand deep (depth contained 2.0 to 
GULF OF 

MEXKO 

T. PETERSBURG 

FLORIDA 

CAPE ROMAN 

MILES 

0 50 100 

0 50 100 

KILOMETERS 

Figure 2. Areas of major fishing catches for Florida pompano in south Florida. 

2 
2.8 times in fork length [FL] in 

adults); body compressed, with upper 

and lower profiles similar and head 

profile sloping to a blunt snout; eye 

small, its diameter contained 3.2 to 

5.1 times in head length; upper jaw 

very narrow at end and extending to 

below mid-eye; lower jaw included; 

teeth in jaws small, conical, and 

recurved, disappearing completely by 

about 20 cm FL; gill rakers (including 

rudiments) 5 to 7 on upper limb of 

outer gill arch, 8 to 14 on lower part 

of arch; anal-fin base shorter than 

second dorsal-fin base; pectoral fins 

short, contained 1.1 to 1.3 times in 

head length; scales small, cycloid 

(smooth), and partly embedded; lateral 

line slightly arched to below middle 

of second dorsal fin and straight 

thereafter; no scutes; vertebrae 10 + 

14. 

The other two species of 

Trachinotus in the western North 

Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico regions 

differ from the Florida pompano as 

follows: permit (T. falcatus) has 

fewer dorsal soft rays(19o 21, 

usually 18 to 20); fewer anal soft 

rays (16 to 19, usually 17 or 18); 

teeth present on tongue in individuals 

smaller than about 9 cm TL, but 

disappearing in larger specimens and 

completely absent in those over 22 cm 

FL; enlargement of ribs 2-4; juveniles 

with a bright orange anal fin (vs. 

lemon yellow in the Florida pompano); 

maximum size considerably larger, 

individuals commonly reaching 20-30 lb 

and occasionally 50 lb. The palometa 

oodei) has fewer dorsal soft rays 

::9 gn)* f ewer anal soft rays (16 

to 18); fair distinct narrow bars on 

upper part of body; and anterior-most 

dorsal and anal soft rays notably 

elongated in adults and subadults, 

extending posteriorly nearly to end of 

caudal fin. 

Color in life: bluish green on 

back, shading into silvery on sides; 

stomach area and parts of head 

sometimes yellowish; fins mostly 

yellowish, the elevated part of the 

dorsal dusky; pelvic fins white. A 

good color illustration appears in 

Jordan and Evermann (1902). 

REASONS FOR INCLUSION IN SERIES 

The Florida pompano is widely 

esteemed as one of the finest food 

fishes, and brings one of the highest 

prices (per pound) of any marine food 

fish in the continental United States; 

consequently, it is an important sport 

and commercial species. It is caught 

by sport fishermen in inshore areas 

(in the surf, off piers, and over 

shallow flats). Mariculture of the 

species has failed (Berry and Iversen 

1967; Moe et al. 1968; Iversen and 

Berry 1969; Finucane 1970a, 1970b; 

Marcello and Strawn 1972). 

LIFE HISTORY 

Although the Florida pompano 

ranges southward as far as southern 

Brazil, 

history 

virtually all published life 

information is based on 

populations in U.S. coastal waters. 

Spawning 

The Florida pompano apparently 

has a protracted spawning season. 

Young-of-the-year fish of a wide range 

of lengths are abundant in the warmer 

waters of its range, and after early 

summer along the upper Atlantic coast 

(Gunter 1945; Fields 1962; Gunter 

and Hall 1963; Finucane 1969a). The 

Florida pompano apparently does not 

spawn north of southern Virginia 

and the young observed to the north 

probably migrated there (or were 

carried passively) from more southerly 

waters. In Florida and elsewhere in 

the southern United States, the main 

spawning months are April through June 

and September and October (Finucane 

1969a). 

Spawning of Florida pompano has 

not been observed and opinions differ 

3 
about whether they spawn in inshore or 

offshore waters. Evidence for 

offshore spawning is based in part on 

the appearance of small larvae (3.0 to 

4.5 mm long) in plankton tows up to 

24 km offshore in Florida waters over 

the Continental Shelf of the eastern 

Gulf of Mexico (Finucane 1969a). As 

further evidence of offshore spawning 

(Finucane, pers. comm.), ten ripe 

pompano were captured in spring 1983 

near the DeSoto Canyon (the top of 

which is 54-60 m below the surface) in 

the northern Gulf of Mexico, and two 

larvae (7.2 and 11.0 mm long) were 

taken in plankton tows 98 and 49 km 

off the coast of South Carolina. One 

was taken near the surface in the Gulf 

Stream in water over 100 fathoms 

(183 m) deep (Fields 1962). Spawning 

in the Gulf Stream probably accounts 

for the dispersal of larvae far to the 

north. 

Water temperatures at time of 

spawning have not been recorded, but 

few young have been collected at 

temperatures less than 19 OC (Fields 

1962). 

Examination of gonads from 17 

females taken in Tampa Bay in early 

April revealed that all contained 

developing oocytes, but only one 

(356 mm TL and 576 g) was gravid; it 

contained about 630,000 eggs (Finucane 

1969a). From these data, Finucane 

(1969b) estimated that an averagesized female would produce 600,000 to 

800,000 eggs per year. Moe et al. 

(1968) reported 425,000 eggs in a 

sexually mature female 255 mm FL. 

Larval Stage 

Florida pompano larvae (Figure 3) 

spend their first month of life at 

sea (Fields 1962). By the end of the 

month, most have moved inshore to the 

beaches, which are the preferred 

habitat (nursery grounds) of the 

young. From hatching until they reach 

the nursery grounds, they undergo at 

least a threefold increase in length 

Figure 3. Florida pompano larvae; 

size given in fork lengths (Fields 

1962). 

, 

(about 3 to 12 mm standard length [SL] 

or longer). 

Postlarvae and Juveniles 

Juvenile Florida pompano (Figure 

3) live primarily in the surf zone 

along gradually sloping sandy beaches 

(Fields 1962). For example, in 

Florida about 100,000 juveniles, 25 to 

100 mm TL, were collected with a seine 

in the surf zone for a mariculture 

experiment. In Georgia, larvae from 

the first spawners move to the beaches 

when they are between 10 to 30 mm SL 

(most are between 13 and 18 mm; Fields 

1962). In Florida, they move to shore 

from mid-April to mid-May (Fields 

1962), or slightly earlier (Moe et al. 

1968). The first spawning "wave" of 

larvae is followed, at about l-month 

intervals, by subsequent waves that 

continue into late October or even as 

late as early December. According to 

Fields (1962), juveniles leave the 
Georgia beaches for deeper water when 

they are 60 to 70 mm TL. Juveniles 

from the first spawning begin to leave 

about mid-July. In Florida, Iversen 

and Berry (1969) reported that 

juveniles reach 120 mm SL (150 mm TL) 

before leaving the beaches. In late 

fall, water temperature usually is the 

principal factor that determines the 

time of departure. By the time the 

water temperature has dropped below 

19 'C, the juveniles have abandoned 

the beaches (Fields 1962). Along the 

south Georgia coast, spawning appears 

to be most intense in April and May 

when the larvae are most abundant. 

Maturity and Life Span 

The most useful information on 

the sexual development of the Florida 

pompano was reported by Moe et al. 

(1968), who examined the gonads of 16 

pond-reared pompano in February and 2 

in May. All fish in the February 

group were sexually immature. The 

largest (a female) was 244 mm SL and 

weighed 890 g. Two sexually mature 

males examined in May were 225 mm and 

255 mm FL and 269 g and 469 g. 

Neither age nor life span of the 

species has been studied, either in 

captivity or at sea, but Berry and 

Iversen (1967) estimated that most 

pompano live 3 or 4 years under 

natural conditions. 

GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS 

On the basis of data on pondreared fish from St. Augustine, 

Florida, Moe et al. (1968) constructed 

a growth curve (Figure 4) from which 

they estimated that it would take a 

Florida pompano 18 months to reach 

250 mm FL and weigh 0.45 kg; however, 

environmental conditions in the pond 

were less than optimal. 

Florida pompano held from 28 June 

to 12 November at the Miami Seaquarium 

and fed a mixture of whole ground fish 

and commercial trout food increased in 

Figure 4. Growth curve based on empirical measurements of young pompano 

from June in their first year of life 

to October in their second year of 

life (Moe et al. 1968). 

weight from 5 to 203 g and in length 

from 56 to 191 mm FL (Iversen and 

Berry 1969). This growth was more 

rapid than that reported by Moe et al. 

(1968) in ponds. 

One striking feature noted by 

Iversen and Berry (1969) regarding the 

Miami Seaquarium experiment was the 

wide range of variation in growth 

among individuals. Although these 

fish were not of uniform size at the 

beginning of the experiment (range, 

0.03-20 g and 14-99 mm FL), the 

ultimate degree of variation after 4.5 

months was more than might have been 

expected (85-305 g and 139-240 mm SL). 

On the basis of catch records 

from the Tampa Bay area, Finucane 

(1969a) estimated an average monthly 

growth rate of 22 mm for postjuveniles. Bellinger and Avault 

(1970) reported an average monthly 

growth rate for adults of about 36 mm 

(range 27 to 42 mm). 

FISHERY 

Quantity and Value of Commercial 

Fisheries 

The Florida pompano is highly 

prized and commands the highest price 

per pound of any seafood from 

5 
southern waters of the United States. 

The following data provide comparisons 

of dockside prices from 1952 through 

1981. Because of inflation during the 

1970's and early 1980's, prices from 

1952 through 1972, and 1973 through 

1981 are given separately. Between 

1952 and 1972, prices per pound ranged 

from $0.48 (in 1958) to $1.31 (in 

1972); they averaged $1.06 in 1968-72 

(Prochaska 1976). For 1973-81, prices 

per pound ranged from a low of $1.12 

(in 1975) to a high of $2.72 (in 

1981). Prices averaged $2.30 per 

pound (in 1977-81), and consistently 

remained above $2.00 after 1977 

(Prochaska and Keithly, in press). 

Next to the Florida pompano, the 

species with the highest dockside 

prices were stone crab, oysters, and 

shrimp. 

Between 1952 and 1981, the total 

weight of Florida pompano taken 

commercially in Florida ranged from a 

low of 455,000 lb, in 1955, to a high 

of 1,432,OOO lb, in 1974 (values for 

1970 to 1983 shown in Table 1). The 

low and high total dockside incomes 

from the sale of pompano in 1952-72 

were $302,000 (in 1959) and $1,639,000 

(in 1972); from 1973 to 1981 low and 

high dockside values were $1,484,000 

(in 1973) and $2,150,000 (in 1981). 

Although the total number of pounds of 

pompano landed in 1952-72 was much 

lower than for most other commercial 

species (due in part to their 

comparatively small size), their total 

landed value was about equal to that 

of all groups except snapper, mullet, 

shrimp, and spiny lobster. 

Commercial landings of pompano 

are reported in all Coastal States 

from Virginia to Texas, but Florida 

contributes more than 90% of the 

total. For example, in 1965 about 

833,000 lb of the total U.S. catch of 

886,000 lb were taken in Florida 

(Lyles 1967). In 1965, the Atlantic 

coast catch of pompano made up about 

1% of the total weight of all finfish 

and shellfish caught, and more than 5% 

of the total dollar value. In 

Florida, pompano contributed about 

0.4% of the weight and about 1.6% of 

the value (Berry and Iversen 1967). 

Most pompano are caught along the 

” 

west coast of Florida, from Monroe 

County (including the Florida Keys) to ! 

Charlotte County (vicinity of Fort 

Myers) (Figure 2). The largest 

catches on the east coast are made 

from Brevard County (Cape Canaveral) 

south to Palm Beach County. Most of 

the pompano caught commercially in 

Florida are from offshore waters, 

although some are caught in the 

estuaries of the Indian and Banana 

Rivers near Cape Canaveral. 

Most adult pompano are caught 

commercially in large trammel nets, 

but some are caught with gill nets 

(Berry and Iversen 1967). Pound nets 

are the principal gear used in 

Chesapeake Bay (Hildebrand and 

Schroeder 1928). 

airplane 

In the Florida Keys, 

spotters help locate 

concentrations of pompano for 

fishermen, a practice that has helped 

increase catches in recent years. 

fish, 

Although a highly sought game 

Florida pompano nevertheless 

comprise only a small percentage of 

the sport catch in coastal waters of 

the southeastern United States. The 

sport catch of pompano and permit 

is so small that these species are 

listed under "other fish" in marine 

sport fish statistics (National Marine 

Fisheries Service 1979). Most pompano 

are taken by anglers in the surf, off 

fishing piers, and over shallow flats. 

Pompano angling was discussed by 

Buckow (1965), who indicated that the 

pompano ranked second only to the 

bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) in 

importance as a surf-h in 

Florida. 

Value and Palatability of Florida 

Pompano 

The permit is not valued as 

highly as the Florida pompano. Even 

though they are about equally 

6 
Table 1. Annual commercial landings (thousands of pounds) and value in parentheses (thousands of dollars) of 

Florida pompano from the Southeastern States and Texas, 1970-83. 

state 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1970 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 

Florida' 

(crst corst) 

Florida" 

(west coast) 

Alrbur 

4 

6eorgle 

LoulSim4 

nlsslsslppi 

worth 

Cwollnr 

South 

Cwollnr 

Texas 

243,400 123.100 156,300 332.400 228,WO 195,500 

($294) ($157) ($225) ($377) ($265) (S224) 

851,600 831.900 1.098.5W 919.000 1.204.700 1.132.700 

($964) ($1.053) (Sl.414) ($1.107) ($1.537) (tl.266) 

2.100 

($818) 

(&z 

49,800 

043) 

5.200 4,505 

($3) ($2) 

___ ___ 

19,300 

($17) ':i::: 

___ 

(!?I 

2.5W 7.012 

( $1) ($3) 

( :z 

1.205 

( $1) 

"iE “iE 

13.277 13.671 

($7) ($7) 

‘3i::: 

710 

( $7) 

9.584 

($4) 

4,992 

( $1) 

1.800 

( $1) 

___ 

15.160 

($15) 

8,980 

($5) 

109 

1 $1) 

"i!Z 

9.503 

($5) 

___ 

17 297 

(419) 

'E 

7.991 

($5) 

1.249 

( $1) 

“iR 

444.200 

($624) 

947,900 

($1.267) 

13,991 

($7) 

110 

($1) 

18,741 

($24) 

1.910 

($2) 

4.812 

($3) 

___ 

5.700 

($4) 

1.359.617 881.006 731.131 

IS2.070) ($1,789) ($1,910) ( 

_-_ 

‘:i::: 

3g 

4,639 

($3) 

111 

( $1) 

IK 

9.665 10.207 9,798 

($5) ($8) ($1’) 

9,484 44,348 

($9) ($60) 

2,410 26.350 

($5) ($65) 

2.967 10.519 

($1) ($9) 

218 3,989 

($1) ($1) 

l.WO 3,600 

($1) ($5) 

752.603 827,283 880,042 762.144 

$2.044) (52.150) ($2.180) ($2.130) 

250 

($1) 

36.319 

($53) 

3,311 5.109 1.403 

($2) ($10) ($1) 

279 135 136 

($1) ($1) ($1) 

56,887 7,536 6.619 

($107) ($25) ($17) 

47,400 50,790 10.5w 

($128) ($135) ($28) ‘ilt 

10.104 9,723 31,186 4,982 

($5) ($6) ($33) ($4) 

3.043 176 260 

($1) 

1,804 

($1) ($1) ($1) 

1.200 

01) 

t3? “E 4.500 

($2) 

'East and west coast landings cabined in 1977-83. 
abundant, the permit contributes less 

than 1% of the combined catch of the 

two species (Johnson 1978). Small 

permit (l-2 lb) are often sold as 

Florida pompano. A taste test was 

conducted by 13 panelists to compare 

the palatability of Florida pompano 

(both wild and cultured) with permit, 

palometa, and a more distantly related 

Brazilian carangid species, the parona 

(Parona signata). 

t- received 

Pompano consisthe highest ratings 

in flavor, texture, appearance, and 

aroma (Iversen and Berry 1969). 

Mariculture Potential 

Because of its consistently high 

value as a food fish, the Florida 

pompano has received considerable 

attention for its potential in 

mariculture (Berry and Iversen 1967; 

Moe et al. 1968; Iversen and Berry 

1969; Finucane 1970b; Marcello and 

Strawn 1972). Juveniles, as stock for 

pond culture, are easily caught in 

large numbers with seines on open 

sandy beaches in many areas. Young 

pompano are so abundant along the 

Florida east coast that large numbers 

probably could be taken for commercial 

mariculture without endangering the 

spawning stocks or threatening the 

commercial fishery (Iversen and Berry 

1969); however, the number that can be 

taken legally by seine in Florida 

waters is too small to economically 

support a mariculture operation. Thus 

far, artificial propagation on a large 

scale has failed. 

Moe et al. (1968) published the 

most complete summary available of a 

pompano mariculture operation. It was 

based on work carried out by the 

Minorcan Seafood Company during the 

mid-1960's at facilities located on 

the inside of Matanzas Inlet, just 

north of Marineland, Florida. In the 

summary, it was concluded that the 

"Propagation of pompano and other fish 

in Florida waters has yet to become a 

consistently successful commercial 

venture. Although the success of such 

an endeavor appears technically and 

economically feasible, there are 

multitudinous problems that must be 

solved before a large scale commercial 

enterprise can be profitably conducted." 

ECOLOGICAL ROLE 

The food habits of juvenile 

pompano have been studied in coastal 

waters of Georgia (Fields 1962); Tampa 

Bay, Florida (Finucane 1969a); Florida 

(Armitage and Alevizon 1980); and 

Louisiana (Bellinger and Avault 1971). 

Bellinger and Avault (1971) summarized 

and compared results from the earlier 

reports; the following quotation is 

from their paper: 

"Comparison of the food habits of 

Louisiana pompano with those reported 

from other areas showed basic 

similarities. Fields (1962) reported 

that juvenile pompano (13.5 to 80.5 mm 

SL) from Georgia ate amphipods, 

bivalve molluscs, crab larvae, 

copepods, isopods, and invertebrate 

eggs, in that order. He also found 

barnacles, polychaetes, cumacea, other 

invertebrates, and sand in the 

stomachs. Finucane (1969a) examined 

the food habits of pompano from Tampa 

Bay, Florida, reporting that pompano 

from 15 to 44 mm SL ;;;tzzhipods, 

larval and adult . and 

occasionally Donax ’ variabilis. 

Pompano from 50 to0 mm ate larger 

crustaceans and molluscs; those from 

110 to 138 mm ate primarily Donax. 

Gunter (1959) reported that jume 

pompano, in Texas, fed to a large 

extent on young Harengula (Clupeidae). 

This was not the case in Louisiana 

and was not found by Finucane 

(1969a) in Florida. Larval or 

juvenile fishes occurred with 

very low frequency in the overall diet 

in Louisiana. 

"Pompano can probably be considered selective grazers, feeding 

primarily along the bottom. . . . 

Large and well-developed pharyngeal 

plates indicate an eventual adult 

8 
specialization to feed on hardshell infection rate was higher in the 

organisms such as clams or crabs. The permit. There is no evidence in the 

stomach of the pompano is well defined literature that diseases and parasites 

and sac-shaped, often an indication of are a threat to the pompano in its 

omnivorous food habits. natural habitat. 

"Food habit data . . . indicate 

that juvenile pompano are opportunistic feeders in the smaller length 

classes, apparently feeding on those 

organisms that are most abundant or 

available at the time. As juvenile 

pompano grow larger, they appear to 

become more selective in their diet. 

Finucane (1969a) also noted this in 

Florida pompano." 

Food habits of adult pompano have 

not been studied intensively. In the 

Aransas Bay area, Texas, two pompano 

(weighing about 4 lb each) contained 3 

shrimp, 13 crabs, and 2 unidentified 

fish (Miles 1949). Nineteen adult 

pompano sampledfrom a commercial catch 

from Tampa Bay, Florida, in April and 

May 1968 fed exclusively on the 

scorched mussel, Brachidontes 

exustus, which attaches to rocks ln 

the deeper parts of the bay. Adult 

pompano caught near oil rigs by sport 

fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico fed on 

penaeid shrimp (Finucane 1969a). 

Nothing has been published to 

indicate that adults of any of the 

Trachinotus species comprise regular 

items of food for other fishes or 

higher vertebrates (excluding man). 

Many juveniles are undoubtedly 

eaten by larger fish. Birds that 

forage regularly alon 

'j 

the beaches, 

particularly brown pe icans, may be 

the most serious predators. 

Juvenile pompano are not heavily 

parasitized (Finucane 1969a). Of the 

two genera of isopods reported, Ione 

SPP. were attached to the mouthand 

giil tissues, and Aegathoa spp. to 

various parts of the body and fins. 

Several parasitic brachyurans (Argulus 

sp.) were found on the skin, and 

mature and immature nematodes were 

sometimes found in the body cavity or 

encysted in the viscera. The nematode 

ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS 

Information on environmental 

requirements (temperature, salinity, 

dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, and 

pH) of the Florida pompano appear in 

a number of publications (Gunter 1945; 

Springer and Woodburn 1960; Moe et al. 

1968; Finucane 1969a). 

Temperature 

Most pompano in the Tampa Bay 

area live in a water temperature range 

of 17 to 32 OC, but 28 to 32 OC is 

preferred. Generally, temperatures 

below 15 OC are unfavorable. Captive 

stocks of pompano subjected to 

temperatures from 10 to 15.6 OC 

suffered some mortality (Berry and 

Iversen 1967), but a few survived 

temperatures as low as 9.7 OC for 

short periods. 

The results of laboratory experiments on the effects of decreasing 

water temperature on pompano were 

reported by Moe et al. (1968) and 

are illustrated in Figure 5. Most 

pompano first showed symptoms of 

stress when temperatures were 

reduced to about 12.2 OC, and all 

but one nearly died when water 

temperatures were lowered to about 

10.8 OC. They concluded that the low 

critical temperature for 

reared pompano is near 10 OC. 

pondThe 

critical high temperature for adult 

pompano may be about 38 OC, although 

small juveniles have been observed 

in tide pools at temperatures near 

46 'C. 

Salinity 

Pompano rarely live in brackish 

waters. Based on catch records, 

adults apparently prefer a salinity 

9 
flmo (daya) 

2 a 4 6 6 7 8 

6 1 10 1 16 ?‘O n’6 SiO ’ 42’ d4’ & ’ k 140 114 160 lb2 

Tlna (hour.) 

Figure 5. Incidence of shock and mortality of Florida pompano (175 to 225 mn 

long in Florida and in good condition) exposed to declines in water temperatures 

over different lengths of time. (Modified from Moe et al. 1968). 

range of 28 to 37 ppt. Juveniles 

apparently tolerate a somewhat greater 

range of salinity, some having been 

observed in waters with salinities as 

low as 9 ppt (Gunter and Hall 1963) 

and as high as 50 ppt (Perret et al. 

1971). Juveniles appear to tolerate a 

wider range of water temperature and 

salinity than do adults. 

In a laboratory experiment in 

which Moe et al. (1968) transferred 

five pompano directly from seawater 

to freshwater, the fish went into 

a state of shock and died within 

7.5 h. Four pompano taken from 

waters with a salinity of 29 ppt 

and placed in water with a salinity 

of 9 ppt showed no stress, and 

were maintained at 9 ppt for 16 

days. The salinity was then 

gradually reduced over 3 days to 

1.3 ppt without mortality. As a 

result of this experiment, Moe et 

al. (1968)cou~~luded that pompano 

possibly under controlled 

conditions, adApt to freshwater. 

Whether they would feed or their 

eggs would develop normally in 

freshwater is unknown. 

Depth 

The Florida pompano usually 

lives in shallow water (particularly 

the younger fish); there are few 

10 
indications in the literature of 

precise depths of capture. Sometimes, however, sexually ripe 

adults seek deeper water. Some 

pompano have been caught in water 

60 m deep in the DeSoto Canyon area 

;:A 

the northern Gulf of Mexico 

Finucane, pers. comm.; Shipp 

and Hopkins 1978). The collection of 

a larva near the surface of water over 

100 fathoms deep (Fields 1962) suggests spawning in deeper water, but 

deep-water spawning has not been 

demonstrated. 

Substrate 

Florida pompano characteristically live near or over open lowenergy beaches with sand or mud 

bottoms, or over shallow tidal mud 

flats. The type of bottom encountered 

in deeper water may vary, but it is 

not known if bottom characteristics 

are critical for spawning success 

feeding. 

Other Environmental Factors 

Experiments on the effects 

dissolved oxygen 

elevation, 

depletion! 

and extreme turbidity 

pompano were conducted by Moe et 

(1968). Pompano were stressed 

of 

PH 

on 

al. 

in 

waters in which dissolved oxygen 

content dropped to 3 ppm, and died at 

concentrations of 2.5 ppm. There is 

ample evidence to suggest that this 

situation is more complex, however, 

and that a number of environmental and 

physiological factors may work in 

combination to determine lethal levels 

of oxygen deficiency. Moe et al. 

(1968) also found that pompano died 

when the pH dropped much below 4 or 

exceeded 12. 

or 

11 

LITERATURE CITED 

Armitage, T.M., and W.S. Alevizon. 

1980. The diet of the Florida 

pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) 

along the east coast of central 

Florida. Fla. sci. 43(1):19-Z. 

Bellinger, J.W., and J.W. Avault, Jr. 

1970. Seasonal occurrence, growth, 

and length-weight relationship of 

juvenile pompano, Trachinotus 

carolinus, in Louisiana. Trans. Am. 

Fish. Sot. 99(2):353-358. 

Bellinger, J.W., and J.W. Avault, Jr. 

1971. Food habits of juvenile 

pompano, Trachinotus carolinus, in 

Louisiana. Trans. Am. Fish. Sot. 

100(3):486-494. 

Berry, F.H., and E.S. Iversen. 1967. 

Pompano: biology, fisheries, and 

potential. Proc. Gulf 

Fish. Inst. 19:116-128. 

farming 

Caribb. 

Berry, F 

1978. 

identif 

purpose 

.H., and W.S. Smith-Vaniz. 

Carangidae. FAO species 

ications sheets for fishery 

Western Central Atlantic 

(Fishin:' Area 31) Vol. 2. w. 

Fischer, ed. Food'and Agriculture 

Organization of the United Nations, 

Rome. 

Buckow. E.C. 1965. Pompano, 

Tranchinotus carolinus: angling 

methods. Paaes 764-765. in A.J. 

McClane, ed. -McClane's new zandard 

fishing encyclopedia. Holt, 

Rinehard and Winston. 1156 pp. 

Fields, Pompanos 

(Trachino!;!' sp.) '~?~South Atlantic 

coast of the United States. U.S. 

Fish Wildl. Serv. Fish. Bull. 

62:189-222. 

Finucane, J.H. 1969a. Ecology of the 

pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) and 

the permit (T. falcatus) in Florida. 

Trans. Am. Fish. Sot. 98(3):478-486. 

F i nucane, J.H. 1969b. Fauna1 

production project. Pages 11-15 in 

Report of the Bureau of Commercia 

Fisheries Biological Laboratory, St. 

Petersburg Beach Florida, fiscal 

year 1968. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv. 

Circ. 313. 22 pp. 

Finucane, J.H. 1970a. Fauna1 

production project. Pages 11-13 in 

Report of the Bureau of Commerciz 

Fisheries Biological Laboratory, St. 

Petersburg Beach, Florida, fiscal 

vear 1969. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv. 

Circ. 342. 25 pp. 

Finucane, J.H. 1970b. 

mariculture in Florida. 

135-143 h Food-drugs from 

Marine Technology 

Washington, D.C. 

Pompano 

Pages 

the sea. 

Society, 

Gunter, G. 1945. Studies on marine 

fishes of Texas. Publ. Inst. Mar. 

Sci. Univ. Tex. l(l):l-190. 

Gunter, G. 1959. Population studies 

of the shallow water fishes of an 

outer beach in south Texas. Publ. 

Inst. Mar. Sci. Univ. Tex. 

5:186-193. 

Gunter, G., and G.H. Hall. 1963. 

Biological investigations of the St. 

Lucie Estuary (Florida) ’ 

connection with Lake Okeechobli 

discharge through the St. Lucie 

canal. Gulf Coast Res. Lab. Gulf 

Res. Rep. 1(5):189-307. 

13 
Hildebrand, S.F., and W.C. Schroeder. 

1928. Fishes of Chesapeake Bay. 

Bull. U.S. Bur. Fish. 43:1-366. 

Iversen, E.S., and F.H. Berry. 1969. 

Fish mariculture: progress and 

potential. Proc. Gulf Caribb. Fish. 

Inst. 21:163-176. 

Johnson, G.D. 1978. Development 

of fishes of the mid-Atlantic 

Bight. Vol. 4: Carangidae through 

Ephippidae. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv. 

FWS/OBS-78/12. 314 pp. 

Jordan, D.S., and B.W. Evermann. 

1902. American food and game 

fishes, Vol. 1. Doubleday and Co., 

New York. 572 pp. 

Lyles, Charles P. 1967. Fisheries 

statistics of the United States for 

1965. U.S. Department of the 

Interior Bureau of Commercial 

Fisheries, Branch of Statistics. 

Statistical Digest No. 59. 756 pp. 

Marcello, R.A., Jr., and R.K. Strawn. 

1972. The cage culture of some 

marine fishes in the intake and 

discharge canals of a semi-electric 

generating station, Galveston Bay, 

Texas. Texas A&M Univ., Sea Grant 

Publ. 72-20b. 267 pp. 

Miles D.W. 1949. A study of food 

habjts of the fishes of the Aransas 

Bay Area. Pages 129-169 in Texas 

Game, Fish and Oyster Commercial 

Marine Laboratory Annual Report for 

1948-1949. Unpubl. report. 

Moe, MA., Jr., R.A. Lewis, and R.M. 

Ingle. 1968. Pompano mariculture: 

preliminary data and basic 

considerations. Fla. Board Conserv. 

Mar. Lab. Tech. Ser. 55. 65 PP. 

National Marine Fisheries Service. 

1979. Marine recreational fisheries 

statistics survey, Atlantic and gulf 

coasts, 1979. U.S. Natl. Mar. Fish. 

Serv. Curr. Fish. Stat. 8063:1-139. 

Perret, W.S., W.R. Latipie, J.F. 

Pollard, W.R. Mock, B.G. Adkins, 

W.J. Gaidry, and C.J. White. 1971. 

Fishes and invertebrates collected 

in trawl and seine samples in 

Louisiana estuaries. Pages 39-105 

in Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries 

Emmission Cooperative Gulf of 

Mexico estuarine inventory and 

study. Louisiana Department of 

Wildlife and Fisheries, Baton Rouge. 

175 pp. 

Prochaska, F.J. 1976. Florida 

commercial marine fisheries: 

growth, relative importance, and 

input trends. Fla. Sea Grant 

Program Rep. 11. 50 pp. 

Prochaska, F.J., and W.R. Keithly. In 

press. Production and processing in 

Florida commercial fisheries, 

1952-82. Fla. Sea Grant Program 

Rep. 

Shipp, R.L., and T.S. Hopkins. 1978. 

Physical and biological observations 

of the northern rim of the DeSoto 

Canyon made from research 

submersible. Northeasta Gulf Sci. 

2(2):113-121. 

Springer, V.G., and K.D. Woodburn. 

1960. An ecological study of the 

fishes of the Tampa Bay area. Fla. 

State Board Conserv. Prof. Pap. Ser. 

1. 104 pp. 

14 
Report aZ(11.42 

&nuo~b#aw L-e 

Life Histories and Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes April 1986 

and Invertebrates (South Florida)--Florida Pompano & 

1. ly)ly(e# 

Carter Gilbert 

b.~~r(lw,w#lrw&~ 

Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit 

117 Newins-Ziegler Hall 

University of Florida 

Gainesville, FL 32611 

urn- MNmeaadNational Coastal Ecosystems Team U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

Division of Biological Services Waterways Experiment Station 

Fish and Wildlife Service P.O. Box 631 

U.S. Department of the Interior Vicksburg, MS 39180 

Washington, DC 20240 

'U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Report No. TR EL-82-4 

m=Nrnnmrorb) 

Species profiles are literature summaries of the morphology, range, life history, and 

environmental requirements of coastal aquatic species. They are designed to assist in 

environmental impact assessment. 

common along the Florida coast. 

Florida pompano is a marine species that is especially 

Florida pompano is an excellent food fish, so it supports 

an important commercial and recreational fishery. Larvae live in the open sea, but 

juveniles use waters along beaches as nursery grounds. Juvenile pompano eat planktonic 

but mostly benthic invertebrates. Adults feed on inwrtebrates and fish. Pompano prefer 

temperatures of 28-32 'C, and adults apparently prefer salinities of 28-37 ppt. Pompano 

died at a dissolved oxygen concentrations of 2.5 ppm. 

Marine fishes Life cycles 

Growth Salinity 

Feeding habits Temperature 

Fisheries Oxygen 

b..nf~Tm 

Florida pompano 

Trachinotus carolinus Spawning 

U.S.G.P.O. 1986/661-638 

Speues praiiies : 

iii lbert, Carter Rowe I i, 

:esr arch Library 

7 5. Department of the Interin- 

~tional Biological Survey 

:thern Science Center 

‘,“\ .I’, cajundome Boulevard 

_.r’iiyette l_,ouid8ne 7QRB4-~~ i 

* Headquarters, DIVISION of Biological 

Services, Washington. DC 

X Eastern Energy and Land Use Team 

Leetow”, WV 

l National Coastal Ecosystems Team 

Slide% LA 

l Western Energy and Land Use Team 

Ft. Collms. CO 

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