The yellowtail amberjack, yellowtail kingfish, hiramasa or great amberjack (''Seriola lalandi'') is a large fish found in the Southern Ocean. Although previously thought to be found in all oceans and seas, recent genetic analysis restricts ''S. lalandi'' proper to the Southern Hemisphere waters. However, they are found in Northern Hemisphere waters during certain times of the year. The fish was given its name by Monsieur de Lalande, a naturalist who first informed zoologist
Achille Valenciennes
Achille Valenciennes (9 August 1794 – 13 April 1865) was a French zoologist.
Valenciennes was born in Paris, and studied under Georges Cuvier. His study of parasitic worms in humans made an important contribution to the study of parasitology ...
of the existence of this species. His reason for the use of the word ''Seriola'' (feminine diminutive form of ''seria'', a large earthenware pot) to name the fish is uncertain, but the second word ''lalandi'' was derived from his surname.
Taxonomy
The yellowtail amberjack was formally described in 1833 by
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
zoologist
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and d ...
Achille Valenciennes
Achille Valenciennes (9 August 1794 – 13 April 1865) was a French zoologist.
Valenciennes was born in Paris, and studied under Georges Cuvier. His study of parasitic worms in humans made an important contribution to the study of parasitology ...
from
type specimen
In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes th ...
explorer
Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians.
Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...
Pierre Antoine Delalande
Pierre Antoine Delalande (27 March 1787 – 27 June 1823) was a French naturalist, taxidermist, explorer and painter.specific name.
Fishbase
FishBase is a global species database of fish species (specifically finfish). It is the largest and most extensively accessed online database on adult finfish on the web.
includes populations of similar fish in the Northern Hemisphere within this species, but other authorities regard ''S. aureovittata'' from the North Pacific Ocean around Japan and ''S. dorsalis'' of the northeastern Pacific as separate species.
Distribution and habitat
The yellowtail amberjack occurs in tropical and temperate waters of the Southern Hemisphere and the northern Pacific. In Australia, it is recorded from North Reef, Queensland, (23° 11′ S) to
Trigg Island
Trigg Island is a small "island" off the coast of the suburb of Trigg in Perth, Western Australia. It is named after Henry Stirling Trigg, Superintendent of Public Works in the Colony of Western Australia from 1838 to 1851.
Trigg Island is a ...
, Western Australia, (31° 52′ S), and as far south as
Tasmania
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, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
.
The yellowtail amberjack (or yellowtail kingfish as it is known in Australia) is a highly mobile pelagic species, and tends to either form single-species schools, or combine with southern bluefin tuna ('' Thunnus maccoyii'') and silver trevally ('' Pseudocaranx dentex''). They prefer water temperatures of 17‒24 °C.
In general, they inhabit rocky reefs and adjacent sandy areas in coastal waters and occasionally enter estuaries. They are found from shallow water down to depths around 50 m, although have been caught from over 300 m.
Young fish up to 7 kg are known to form shoals of several hundred fish. They are generally found close to the coast, while larger fish are more common around deep reefs and offshore islands. Juvenile yellowtail amberjack are rarely seen, as they are often found far from land associated with floating debris or weed which provide camouflage. Juveniles are yellow with black bands. This colouration fades as the fish ages, and by about 30 cm in length, the fish has assumed its adult colouration.
Biology
Very little is known of the yellowtail amberjack's biology, including its habitat preferences throughout juvenile life stages, migration patterns, and wild reproductive behaviour. Adults live around rocky reefs, rocky outcrops, and drop-offs in coastal waters, and around pinnacles and offshore islands. Maximum length is often reported to reach up to 180 cm. Large kingfish caught near Port Augusta in South Australia have been recorded at weights of between 40 and 50 kilograms. Recreational fishers have reported that kingfish catches near
Port Augusta
Port Augusta is a small city in South Australia. Formerly a seaport, it is now a road traffic and railway junction city mainly located on the east coast of the Spencer Gulf immediately south of the gulf's head and about north of the state c ...
were more reliable when the Playford Power Stations were discharging hot water into the upper Spencer Gulf. The power stations have been decommissioned, but kingfish still migrate to upper Spencer Gulf as the southern gulf water cools.
Sydney Harbour
Before the introduction of kingfish traps (for commercial fishing) in the 1970s, huge numbers of yellowtail amberjack were in
Sydney Harbour
Port Jackson, consisting of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove River, Lane Cove and Parramatta River, Parramatta Rivers, is the ria or harbor, natural harbour of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. T ...
. These traps were so effective that some studies suggested the traps may have wiped out as much as 60% of the larger amberjack population. In the mid-1990s under heavy pressure from recreational anglers, Bob Martin, the minister for fisheries, prohibited the use of these traps in Sydney Harbour.
Diet
Being a pelagic fish, yellowtail amberjack are highly active predators, usually in schools or in pairs. Their main diet consists of baitfish including yellowtail mackerel, squid, prawns, garfish, and kahawai.
Uses and aquaculture
''S. lalandi'' has been established as a suitable candidate for marine
aquaculture
Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...
. In contrast to the culture of the
Japanese amberjack
The Japanese amberjack or yellowtail, ''Seriola quinqueradiata'', is a species of jack fish in the family Carangidae. It is native to the northwest Pacific Ocean, ranging from China (called ), Korea (called ), and Japan to Hawaii.
It is greatly ...
(''S. quinqueradiata''), which has long been cultured extensively in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
, juveniles of ''S. lalandi'' are not easily available from the wild, and juveniles are produced in
hatcheries
A hatchery is a facility where eggs are hatched under artificial conditions, especially those of fish, poultry or even turtles. It may be used for ex-situ conservation purposes, i.e. to breed rare or endangered species under controlled condi ...
from captive-breeding stock. In 2010, the Stehr Group in
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest o ...
was the largest producer of cultured ''S. lalandi'' in the world. Trials elsewhere in Australia have been undertaken and in some cases abandoned after stock losses. Water quality concerns were raised following farmed kingfish mortalities in upper Spencer Gulf, South Australia, in 2011. In the late 2010s, yellowtail kingfish farms were established near
Geraldton
Geraldton ( Wajarri: ''Jambinu'', Wilunyu: ''Jambinbirri'') is a coastal city in the Mid West region of the Australian state of Western Australia, north of the state capital, Perth.
At June 2018, Geraldton had an urban population of 37,648. ...
Huon Aquaculture
Huon Aquaculture is a large aquaculture and food processing enterprise located in Tasmania. Founded in 1986, Huon has grown to become the second largest salmon producer in the state, after ASX listed Tassal; it employs 487 Tasmanians and produc ...
, respectively.
Some attempts have been made to culture the species in
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
, both in sea cages and a large land-based system at Parengarenga Harbour (northern New Zealand).
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...
is currently testing sea-cage and land-based farming methods. In Germany, ''S. lalandi'' is being cultivated in the first land-based seafish-culture. A Dutch company, The Kingfish Company, is planning to open a land-based aquaculture operation in Maine, U.S.A., in 2022. Most cultured ''S. lalandi'' is sold to the Japanese restaurant market for consumption as ''sashimi''. Amberjack can be eaten in a variety of ways, including
grilling
Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above, below or from the side. Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat a ...
and
drying
Drying is a mass transfer process consisting of the removal of water or another solvent by evaporation from a solid, semi-solid or liquid. This process is often used as a final production step before selling or packaging products. To be consid ...