Pompanos are marine fish in the genus Trachinotus in the family Carangidae (better known as "jacks"). Pompano may also refer to various other, similarly shaped members of Carangidae, or the order Perciformes. They are found worldwide in warmer seas, sometimes also entering brackish waters.
Their appearance is of deep-bodied fishes, exhibiting strong lateral compression, with a rounded face and pronounced curve to the anterior portion of their dorsal profile. Their ventral profile is noticeably less curved by comparison, while their anterior profile is straight-edged, tapering sharply to a narrow caudal peduncle. Their dorsal and anal fins are typically sickle-shaped, with very long anterior rays and a succession of much shorter rays behind, with a similarly long & curved, deeply forked tail which has a narrow base. They are typically overall silvery in color, sometimes with dark or yellowish fins, and one or a few black markings on the side of their body.[1]
They are toothless and are relatively large fish, up to about long, although most species reach no more than half or two-thirds of that size.
The 21 currently recognized species in this genus are:
| Trachinotus africanusJ. L. B. Smith, 1967 | southern pompano | ||
| Trachinotus anakJ. D. Ogilby, 1909 | oyster pompano | ||
| Trachinotus baillonii(Lacépède, 1801) | smallspotted dart | ||
| Trachinotus blochii(Lacépède, 1801) | snubnose pompano | ||
| Trachinotus botla(G. Shaw, 1803) | largespotted dart | ||
| Trachinotus carolinus(Linnaeus, 1766) | Florida pompano | ||
| Trachinotus cayennensisG. Cuvier, 1832 | Cayenne pompano | ||
| Trachinotus coppingeriGünther, 1884 | swallowtail dart | ||
| Trachinotus falcatus(Linnaeus, 1758) | permit | ||
| Trachinotus goodeiD. S. Jordan & Evermann, 1896 | palometa | ||
| Trachinotus goreensisG. Cuvier, 1832 | longfin pompano | ||
| Trachinotus kennedyiSteindachner, 1876 | blackblotch pompano | ||
| Trachinotus macrospilusSmith-Vaniz & Walsh, 2019 | Marquesas dart | ||
| Trachinotus marginatusG. Cuvier, 1832 | plata pompano | ||
| Trachinotus maxillosusG. Cuvier, 1832 | Guinean pompano | ||
| Trachinotus mookaleeG. Cuvier, 1832 | Indian pompano | ||
| Trachinotus ovatus(Linnaeus, 1758) | pompano | ||
| Trachinotus paitensisG. Cuvier, 1832 | Paloma pompano | ||
| Trachinotus rhodopusT. N. Gill, 1863 | gafftopsail pompano | ||
| Trachinotus stilbe(D. S. Jordan & E. A. McGregor, 1899) | steel pompano | ||
| Trachinotus teraiaG. Cuvier, 1832 | shortfin pompano |
Of the 21 recognized species, most are valued as food and some are considered game fish, including the permit (T. falcatus).[1] Several United States Navy submarines have been named after this genus: USS Pompano and USS Permit.
