Pompanos ( ) are marine fish in the genus Trachinotus in the subfamily Trachinotinae in the family Trachinotidae. 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.
Description 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 and 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.
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.
Species The 21 currently recognized species in this genus are: +SpeciesCommon nameImageTrachinotus africanus J. L. B. Smith, 1967southern pompanoTrachinotus anak J. D. Ogilby, 1909oyster pompanoTrachinotus baillonii (Lacépède, 1801)smallspotted dartTrachinotus blochii (Lacépède, 1801)snubnose pompanoTrachinotus botla (G. Shaw, 1803)largespotted dartTrachinotus carolinus (Linnaeus, 1766)Florida pompanoTrachinotus cayennensis G. Cuvier, 1832Cayenne pompanoTrachinotus coppingeri Günther, 1884swallowtail dartTrachinotus falcatus (Linnaeus, 1758)permitTrachinotus goodei D. S. Jordan & Evermann, 1896palometaTrachinotus goreensis G. Cuvier, 1832longfin pompanoTrachinotus kennedyi Steindachner, 1876blackblotch pompanoTrachinotus macrospilus Smith-Vaniz & Walsh, 2019Marquesas dartTrachinotus marginatus G. Cuvier, 1832plata pompanoTrachinotus maxillosus G. Cuvier, 1832Guinean pompanoTrachinotus mookalee G. Cuvier, 1832Indian pompanoTrachinotus ovatus (Linnaeus, 1758)pompanoTrachinotus paitensis G. Cuvier, 1832Paloma pompanoTrachinotus rhodopus T. N. Gill, 1863gafftopsail pompanoTrachinotus stilbe (D. S. Jordan & E. A. McGregor, 1899)steel pompanoTrachinotus teraia G. Cuvier, 1832shortfin pompano
Human interactions Of the 21 recognized species, most are valued as food and some are considered game fish, including the permit (T. falcatus). Two United States Navy submarines have been named after this genus: USS Pompano and USS Permit.
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