# Leatherjacket fish

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Leatherjacket_fish
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Leatherjacket_fish.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leatherjacket_fish
> Source revision: 1354116218
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|Species of ray-finned fish}}
{{for|the fish family known as leatherjackets|filefish}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Oligoplites saurus.jpeg
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Smith-Vaniz, W.F. |author2=Williams, J.T. |author3=Pina Amargos, F. |author4=Curtis, M. |author5=Brown, J. |author6=Vega-Cendejas, M. |date=2019 |title=''Oligoplites saurus'' |volume=2019 |article-number=e.T183364A86338645 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T183364A86338645.en |access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref>
| taxon = Oligoplites saurus
| authority = ([Bloch](/source/Marcus_Elieser_Bloch) & [J. G. Schneider](/source/Johann_Gottlob_Schneider), 1801)
| synonyms = {{hidden begin|title = List}} 
*''Scomber saurus'' <small>Bloch & Schneider, 1801</small> 
*''Oligoplites inornatus'' <small>[Gill](/source/Theodore_Nicholas_Gill), 1863</small>
*''Oligoplites saurus saurus'' <small>(Bloch & Schneider, 1801)</small>
*''Oligoplites saurus inornatus'' <small>Gill, 1863</small>
{{hidden end}}
| synonyms_ref = <ref name = Fishbase>{{Fishbase|Oligoplites|saurus|month=August|year=2019}}</ref><ref name = CofF>{{Cof genus|genus=Oligoplites|access-date=19 November 2019}}</ref>
}}

The '''leatherjacket fish''' ('''''Oligoplites  saurus'''''), also known as '''leather jack''', is a species of jack in the family [Carangidae](/source/Carangidae).<ref>{{ITIS |id=168673 |taxon=Oligoplites saurus |accessdate=24 January 2006}}</ref> Leather jack may also refer to other members of the Carangidae, such as the [pilot fish](/source/pilot_fish). The largest are about a foot long.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Home|url=https://gmri.org/|access-date=2021-05-23|website=Gulf Of Maine Research Institute|language=en}}</ref>

==Distribution==
There are two subspecies of ''Oligoplites saurus''. The [nominate subspecies](/source/nominate_subspecies) ''O.s. saurus'' distributed in the western Atlantic Ocean from [Chatham, Massachusetts](/source/Chatham%2C_Massachusetts) south along the U.S. coast, throughout the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, and along the South American coast to [Rio Grande do Sul](/source/Rio_Grande_do_Sul), Brazil. The other subspecies ''O. s. inornatus'' is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean from southern [Baja California](/source/Baja_California), much of the [Gulf of California](/source/Gulf_of_California) to Ecuador, including the [Galapagos](/source/Galapagos) and [Malpelo Island](/source/Malpelo_Island)s.<ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021" />

==Feeding==
It voraciously devours small fish and [shrimp](/source/shrimp), often in company with larger predatory species. Leatherjackets feed on small fish including the silver perch.

==As food==
Traditionally, the leather jacket has not been eaten, but recently, with large-scale farming of the fish, it has become common at market{{where?|date=November 2017}}. The fish has a mild, oily taste similar to [Spanish mackerel](/source/Spanish_mackerel) or bluefish. <!-- They can be dusted and grilled with some old bay or emeril seasoning.-->

It has occasionally been the prey to [blue swimmer crab](/source/Portunus_pelagicus), as juvenile fish in sea grass beds.

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
* [http://www.gma.org/fogm/Oligoplites_saurus.htm Fish and Wildlife Service]
* [http://www.sms.si.edu/irlspec/Oligop_saurus.htm Smithsonian Marine Station]
* [http://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=1001 FishBase]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q2948084}}

leatherjacket fish
Category:Fish of the Western Atlantic
Category:Fish of Mexican Pacific coast
Category:Western Central American coastal fauna
leatherjacket fish
Category:Taxa named by Marcus Elieser Bloch
Category:Taxa named by Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Leatherjacket fish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leatherjacket_fish) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leatherjacket_fish?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.