The Almaco Jack, also known as a longfin yellowtail, a silver coat jack or a highfin amberjack is a fish closely related to the Greater and lesser Amberjacks, reaching a midpoint in size between the two of them, with the biggest recorded Almaco being just over 130 lbs. or just under 60 kg. with most specimens being seen at anywhere from 5-25 pounds, rarely exceeding those sizes except in rare conditions, similar to Amberjacks. These species, while common in and around the gulf of Mexico and Atlantic ocean, can also be caught in the Pacific ocean, with both the largest recorded specimen of GAJ's and AlJ's being recorded along the Japanese coast. These fish are a fun, hard fight from an angling standpoint, with most anglers slow pitch jigging or bottom fishing to catch or hook these beautiful fish. Commonly found in deeper coastal waters, with larger schools congregating around wrecks or reefs. The Almaco Jack can be distinguished from the GAJ by the tall dorsal fin, and the shorter, less torpedo shaped body. On the other fin, GAJ's are known for being so hard to target because they are very hydrodynamic, with low fins and minimum shape changes, along with being a favorite target of sharks such as bull sharks or blacktip sharks.
Above are all Almaco Jacks.
Below are all Greater AmberJacks
Amberjacks typically have a broader stripe that starts after the eye, whereas Almacojacks have a stripe that is on both sides of the eye.
It's not even funny how hard it is to find pictures of GAJs without old white men holding them.
