Also known as:
Pilot
Ductor
Romerio
Common Group Name:
Trevallies
Family Name:
Carangidae
Genus Name:
Naucrates
Species Name:
Naucrates ductor
Dispatch Method:
The eating qualities of these fish are greatly improved if they are killed immediately by iki jime or a firm knock to the head before placing them in an ice slurry after bleeding.
Fish Description:
- Pilotfish are a torpedo shaped trevally with a dark to pale blue body with 6-7 broad, dark vertical bars. There are white tips on the lobes of the tail and on the second dorsal and anal fins.
Fish Distribution:
- Pilotfish are found worldwide in all tropical and temperate seas, including the Mediterranean Sea.
- Adults are often found in inshore waters swimming alongside or in front of larger predatory fishes. They feed on scraps of the predators prey.
- Juveniles are often encountered swimming under floating items such as seaweed or jellyfish.
Fish Size Common Length:
Common between 25 and 40 cm (10-16 inches), maximum size around 70 cm (28 inches).
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For assistance with identifying fishes, see fishesofaustralia.net.au. For information on size and bag limits, check out the website of your State Fisheries Department.
We thank fishesofaustralia.net.au and Australia's various Fisheries Departments for some of the thumbnail images used to assist with fish identification on this website and its applications, as licensed for use under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia. Thanks also to Michigan State University and Georgia Aquarium for generous donation of xrays of some US fish species.
