Chyeah, he’s thiCCC with 3 C’s! Learn all about the Tarpon and watch a South Florida river trash clean up with Tammy, Leslie and Todd in the latest episode of Trash Talkin’ N Learnin’!
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Tarpon Facts
What is it?
A large carnivorous, saltwater fish with a thick body that is primarily silver in color. On it’s back, you can also find a range of colors from dark green to gray. While they are the only fish in their family, they are said to be related to the bonefish and the lady fish.
Where do they come from?
Both sides of the Atlantic in the warmer parts of the ocean.
What do they eat?
The Tarpon mostly eats mid-water fish like mullets, pinfish and needle fish for example. They are also known to be a bottom feeding scavenger that likes to eat small, dead fish too.
How long do they live?
Female Tarpon can live up to 50 and even over that, while the males live to be 30. Interestingly enough, the oldest living Tarpon in captivity was 63 years old.
Are they endangered?
The IUCN Red List’s latest assessment from 2018 has the Tarpon listed as Vulnerable with the species population in decline. In order to conserve this species, the Tarpon is a catch and release only fishery unless you acquire a kill tag. These tags can be purchased once per year per person.
Can they breathe air?
Yes, if they are in a habitat that has low oxygen, the Tarpon can gulp air at the surface in order to supplement their oxygen intake as needed.
Do Tarpon have teeth?
Yes, they have rows of small, densely packed teeth all over their mouths including their tongues.
And that’s our species spotlight on the Tarpon.