Highfin Amberjack

Interesting Info

• The Highfin Amberjack is a large and powerful member of the jack family, also known as the Almaco Jack.
• It’s named for its taller second dorsal and anal fins, which are longer than those of other amberjacks.
• Colouration is typically dark olive-brown with lighter flanks and a faint amber stripe down the side.
• Adults can grow over 1.5 m (5 ft) long and weigh more than 60 kg (130 lb), making them heavyweights of the reef slopes.
• In Australia they’re recorded off tropical and subtropical coasts of New South Wales, Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia.
• Globally they occur in warm seas worldwide—the Indo-Pacific, Atlantic, and Caribbean.
• Juveniles are often found near floating debris and Sargassum mats, sheltering from predators.
• They are voracious predators, feeding on small fish, squid, and crustaceans.
• Their deep, muscular bodies and long fins give them a distinctive profile compared to Greater Amberjack.
• Divers and snorkellers may encounter them in blue water near reef edges, often swimming in loose schools.
• They are prized game fish, known for their strength and stamina when hooked.
• In aquaculture they’re farmed in Hawaii and Japan under the name Kampachi, valued for sushi and sashimi.
• Their lifespan is around 8–10 years in the wild, though some individuals live longer in captivity.
• Like other jacks, they help keep reef ecosystems in balance by preying on mid-sized fish.
• The species name rivoliana comes from Count Rivoli, whom the fish was named after in 1833.