CARANGIDAE 



[Kingfish) 



The most common of the carangids in the coastal waters of 

 Eritrea and the islands is the Trachinotus blocchii, locally 

 called 'sauro' (pampano). This fish vaguely resembles the 

 yellow-tail [Lichia glauca) except that its snout is rounder and 

 its body is higher. It is as strong as the yellow-tail but more 

 inquisitive, so much so that it does not even dash off when 

 faced with a man underwater. It is in consequence an easy 

 prey. It is often seen in groups of five or six with the Caranx 

 speciosus, another smaller kingfish equally, if not more, 

 inquisitive. The pampano rarely enters the depths beyond 

 the barrier. It prefers cruising along the external edge keeping 

 to a depth often or twelve feet. When it is hit with a harpoon 

 it puts up a greater resistance than its size would lead one to 

 expect. We seldom met specimens of more than eighteen 

 or twenty pounds. 



During our explorations in the northern parts of the Red 

 Sea, along the Sudanese and Egyptian coasts, I noted that 

 the Caranx sexfasciahis, a near but bigger relative of the 

 pampano, was common. 



A very common fish in all seas, usually in the train of 

 bigger fish especially sharks — once mistakenly called their 

 'pilot' — is the Naiicrates diictor or pilot fish. Nowadays its 

 habit of following sharks is attributed to the motive of 

 'picking up the scraps', but the explanation is still in doubt. 



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