GREATER AMBERJACK

How to identify a Greater Amberjack

Greater amberjack have a dark amber strip on their head, extending from their nose to their first dorsal (back) fin, which becomes more defined when the fish is excited or feeding. They have a brownish or bluish-grey back, a silvery-white belly, and an amber horizontal strip along the middle of their body.  Juveniles have a yellow color and five or six dark vertical bars along the sides.

Where to catch Greater Amberjack

Greater amberjack are found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In the western Atlantic, they are found from Nova Scotia to Brazil.

IDENTIFICATION

How to Identify a Greater Amberjack
 1 Dark amber strip on their head, extending from their nose to their first dorsal (back) fin

 2 Brownish or bluish-grey back, a silvery-white belly, and an amber horizontal strip along the middle of their body

 3 Anal fin is about 2/3 the length of the second dorsal fin

TARGET AREAS

  • Baitfish Patches
  • Cliffs
  • Deep Shore Water
  • Jetties and Breakwaters
  • Night Fishing
  • Saltwater and Tides
  • Surf and Shore
  • Saltwater Weed Beds


  • Breakers
  • Colliding Waves
  • Floating Foam and Debris
  • Merging Water
  • Roily Water
  • Shore Points
  • Tidal Flats

Acknowledgements:  We thank TAKEMEFISHING.org (www.takemefishing.org), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Indiana Department of Natural Resources for their contributions to these FISH FACTS.