Greater Amberjack (Seriola dumerili) is a saltwater species recorded in Taiwan. It is mainly found over reef, at depths of 1–385 m. The main season in Taiwan runs spring, autumn, winter.
Scientific name: Seriola dumerili · Water: Saltwater · Season: Spring, Autumn, Winter
Size: 40–120 cm
Weight: 1–15 kg
The greater amberjack is a premium food fish with firm, fatty flesh prized for sashimi. Its range is circumglobal in tropical and warm temperate seas: in the Indo-West Pacific from South Africa, the Persian Gulf, southern Japan and the Hawaiian Islands south to New Caledonia, including the Mariana and Caroline islands in Micronesia; in the western Atlantic from Nova Scotia and Bermuda to Brazil, with the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean; and in the eastern Atlantic from the British coast as a vagrant to Morocco and the Mediterranean. In Taiwan it runs roughly November to April and is taken by boat, hand-line or jigging over reefs and wrecks. Medium-to-large fish pull hard and rank among the toughest opponents for local anglers.
Caution: large individuals carry a ciguatera risk. Heat, cold and marinating do not remove the toxin, which concentrates in the liver, roe and head, so avoid eating those parts. Seek medical help if numbness, tingling or a reversed sense of hot and cold follows a meal.
Back to home · Taiwan · Species library