blackfin jack
Hemicaranx zelotes
Coastal Pacific jack, from Mexico to Peru, which enters brackish waters. It turns up on the line now and then and is sold fresh, salted or dried.
Also called: xaréu-de-nadadeira-preta, cocinero, blackfin jack
- maximum
- 35 cm
- record/max.
- 0.4 kg
who is the blackfin jack
A fish of the family Carangidae, with a subovate, compressed body and small comb-like teeth in both jaws. It lives in coastal waters and enters brackish waters, from Baja California to Peru. It reaches 35 cm total length, and its common size is 20 cm, measured to the fork of the tail. It has small commercial fishing, and is sold fresh, salted or dried. As a sport-fishing species, it turns up on the line now and then, mostly near the coast.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the blackfin jack; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Jack with a subovate, compressed body, blue-silver back and white or silvery belly. The pectoral fins are dark, sickle-shaped and relatively short, and a row of small comb-like teeth runs along both jaws. Paraselene orstedii, from the same coast, has a much deeper, more compressed body, with blue-green reflections.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Found in the eastern Pacific, from Baja California to Peru, through Central America, in coastal and brackish waters.
Habitat: Coastal and brackish waters, between the surface and the bottom.
rules for the blackfin jack
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
No danger to anglers, and it can be released without special care.
in the kitchen
It is sold fresh, salted or dried, and has small commercial use.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01096, b = 2.94; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Hemicaranx zelotes (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Hemicaranx zelotesNames by country and language.
