Puerto Vallarta aboard the Marla IV, January 10-14

[jurelometer]

Photo in the shadows makes its bit tricky.  But pretty sure it is a Bluefin Trevally (Caranx melampygus).  Blueish body with vivid fluoro blue spots and stripes.  Some of that blue is still visible in the photo.  Nice looking fish.  Notice that the lateral  line toward the tail is solid, but on the black jack it is a series of diamonds.   Bluefin trevally are relatively common in that neighborhood. 

-J

[oc1]

Nice report and trip, got a few tunas, mission accomplished.  What kind of bottom fish is that? choopa?

I think its a Blue Trevally , cousing of the Jack crevalle, I read they are better eating than JC

The meat is not red like a Jack Crevalle.  However, it still has a strong iodine taste. 

[MarkT]

That picture is dark.  What did the crew call it?  I've caught both Jack Crevalle and Horse-eye Jacks there.

[Mjg378]

Im pretty sure I heard Scotty call it a blue trevally! 
Mike

[jurelometer]

Blue trevally and bluefin trevally are different species.  And common names are a pain

I think that Alex  and Scotty were referring to bluefin trevally (Caranx melampygus) .   Mebbe the  locals just call it  azul (blue). Jurel aleta azul  doesn't quite roll off  the tongue in a reasonable length of time .

I don't think that  blue trevally (Carangoides ferdau) are found on the Pacific coast of North America, but they  may get both species in Hawaii.  Haven't seen a blue trevally  live and in person, but  all the photos show faint gold-ish vertical bars. 

With that bright blue band under the dorsal visible, and all the spots, I would put big money on the fish in the photo being a bluefin trevally if  I was the gambling type.   First saltwater fish that I caught on a fly that I tied  myself, so it is burned into my memory.   Seen a bunch of them.  Pretty common in tropical shallows throughout the Pacific, and the catch them fairly frequently starting somewhere south of La Paz.


-J

[Mjg378]

Well after glancing at the internet pictures it sure did look like a bluefin trevally!!   Of course my hearing isn't so good as I get older,  Scotty could have very well called it a bluefin trevally!
Alright, off to the fish logbook and I'm adding BlueFIN Trevally- check!!!
Thank you J!
Mike

Btw,  fishing on the Marla IV,  AWSOME! 😁