# Amberjack - Greater VS. Lesser



## RobATX (Apr 5, 2011)

Went out this weekend and caught a 25 pounder... a lot of discussion about whether it was a "greater" amberjack or a "lesser" amberjack (which we can keep right now. 

I've looked at pics, read descriptions on Gulf Coast Council iphone app, etc, but still can't really differentiate between the two.

Does anyone have any info or some trick to distinguishing the difference?

Many thanks!


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## Snap Draggin (Nov 11, 2007)

http://texasgulfcoastfishing.com/amberjack.html

Supposedly the lesser seldom ever gets over 10 lbs. Also the bar that goes through the eye extends all the way to the dorsal fin on the greater.


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## Crossroads (May 21, 2004)

I don't see a definite "look here" spot to tell the difference. I think they're all Lesser right now.


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## Snap Draggin (Nov 11, 2007)

It's not us you have to convince...


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## RSN (Jul 5, 2010)

we caught a 25lb lesser amberjack at the sunrise rig last month, we had no idea it was a lesser amberjack until we brought it to MoonDog and he identified it


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## mad marlin (Jan 17, 2008)

beside the bar line running from the eye to the dorsal fin there is some other ways to recongnize what its what , like when to difference a Big Eye tuna from YFT by counting the gill rakers on the pectoral fins the Aj can be different from a Greater AJ to a Lesser ( almaco jack or t bar jack ) by counting the gill rakers I believe Greater Aj has like 12.

this two links have some good info

http://www.thejump.net/id/almaco-jack-fish.htm
http://www.landbigfish.com/fish/fish.cfm?ID=44


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## Chase This! (Jul 20, 2007)

RSN said:


> we caught a 25lb lesser amberjack at the sunrise rig last month, we had no idea it was a lesser amberjack until we brought it to MoonDog and he identified it


MoonDog has a conflict of interest.


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## Day0ne (Jan 14, 2006)

From the RodnGun.com fish database:

The greater amberjack has a bluish-brown back, and a wide amber-brown stripe down the length of each side. A dark bar extends diagonally from the dorsal fin through each eye. Unless it is a very large specimen, it is easily confused with several other species. They may be distinguished from each other by the number of gill rakers, the length of the anal fin base, and the numbers of spines and rays in the dorsal fin. Gill rakers are the finger-like extensions projecting forward from the front gill arch. Greater amberjacks have 11-19 gill rakers, a long anal fin base, 7 dorsal fin spines, and 30-34 dorsal fin rays. Lesser amberjacks have 21-24 gill rakers, a long anal fin base, 8 dorsal fin spines, and 29-32 dorsal fin rays. Almaco jacks have 21-26 gill rakers, a long anal fin base, 7 dorsal fin spines, and 28-31 dorsal fin rays. Banded rudderfish have a short anal fin base, 12-16 gill rakers, 8 dorsal fin spines, and 34-39 dorsal fin rays.

Lesser AJ are usually smaller than 8-10 lb


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## cadjockey (Jul 30, 2009)

An illustrated explanation...we've caught lesser AJ longer than the 15in noted below.


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## fisher__man (Jan 13, 2006)

All the characteristics overlap depending on maturity stage except gill rakers. 

Lesser very rarely get to legal size. If it is legal size it is a greater 99.999% of the time.
Even the little jacks that most people catch on the weed lines and use for bait (calling them lesser) are Greater amberjack.


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## FishNFam (Jun 24, 2010)

Even the little jacks that most people catch on the weed lines and use for bait (calling them lesser) are Greater amberjack. [/QUOTE]

Okay--this got my attention. We have done this quite often---never really crossed my mind they might be "real" fish......now, if they are juvenile Greater AJ not only do I not want to do this for conservation reasons (they are "overfished and undergoing overfishing", right?) but I can't imagine the fine to have a livewell full of undersized Greater AJ for bait when stopped........so, really? Those are little Greater AJ's? They are there by the thousands.......


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## awesum (May 31, 2006)

*If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance, baffle 'em with BS*

OK so here's my pitch .....

"no, officer it's a Lesser AJ because ....Greater amberjacks have 11-19 gill rakers, a long anal fin base, 7 dorsal fin spines, and 30-34 dorsal fin rays. Lesser amberjacks have 21-24 gill rakers, a long anal fin base, 8 dorsal fin spines, and 29-32 dorsal fin rays..... see? ...."

:biggrin:


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## Momma's Worry (Aug 3, 2009)

no law's can tell the difference either...........so your gonna get your boat confascated and yourself arrested........over one fish


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## luna sea II (Jul 11, 2009)

this picture sucks but you can see the difference in color and size. we catch quite a few lessers over here and they are always in 600ft + and usually on the bottom. I've never seen one over 12lbs. they have a distinct yellow/olive stripe down their side.

Scott


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## SWANY (Jun 8, 2009)

FishNFam said:


> Even the little jacks that most people catch on the weed lines and use for bait (calling them lesser) are Greater amberjack.


Okay--this got my attention. We have done this quite often---never really crossed my mind they might be "real" fish......now, if they are juvenile Greater AJ not only do I not want to do this for conservation reasons (they are "overfished and undergoing overfishing", right?) but I can't imagine the fine to have a livewell full of undersized Greater AJ for bait when stopped........so, really? Those are little Greater AJ's? They are there by the thousands.......[/QUOTE]

X2 on this question


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## Swells (Nov 27, 2007)

I dunno ... by the time I carve out the "rakers" with my knife ta count 'em, the po' thang done bled out all over the deck so I threw it in the fish hole. 

Was I s'posed to feed it to Flipper?


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## Tiny (Dec 19, 2006)

Thanks Luna Sea... Artists rendentions suck.


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## BIG PAPPA (Apr 1, 2008)

*I CONCURRRRRRR*



Crossroads said:


> I don't see a definite "look here" spot to tell the difference. I think they're all Lesser right now.


couldn't agree with you more...Greenies to you for that Post of the month


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## fisher__man (Jan 13, 2006)

A A&M grad student did a research project on fish around sargasum using small purse seines and found that the vast majority of jacks in the western gulf around the weed lines were greater and with the overlaying fin raycpunts gill rakers or genetics was the only way to tell the difference. 
I will try to get the research and post it if I can.


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## fisher__man (Jan 13, 2006)

O and y'all would be surprises on how much some of these game wardens know.


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## Calmday (Jul 7, 2005)

RSN said:


> we caught a 25lb lesser amberjack at the sunrise rig last month, we had no idea it was a lesser amberjack until we brought it to MoonDog and he identified it


LOL I like ol MoonDog but I wouldnt put too much faith in what he tells you. He spent 30 minutes one day trying to tell me that this was a triple tail.


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## lordbater (May 21, 2004)

Calmday said:


> LOL I like ol MoonDog but I wouldnt put too much faith in what he tells you. He spent 30 minutes one day trying to tell me that this was a triple tail.


wow, that's about as bad as the ppl on the old TCD pier about to beat me up for telling them that the jack cravelle were not YFT...

a


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## FishNFam (Jun 24, 2010)

fisher__man said:


> A A&M grad student did a research project on fish around sargasum using small purse seines and found that the vast majority of jacks in the western gulf around the weed lines were greater and with the overlaying fin raycpunts gill rakers or genetics was the only way to tell the difference.
> I will try to get the research and post it if I can.


Note to self--STOP using those things for bait!! Released bigger AJ last weekend--wouldn't that have really sucked to have been stopped, after releasing nice AJ, and get fined for having a livewell full of 10" for bait!!

Also--there are THOUSANDS of those things around any single grass mat---how in he%$ can they say there aren't enough of them in the gulf and have to close the season??


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## Momma's Worry (Aug 3, 2009)

*a j*

You can't put a Sabiki Rig down anywhere with out catching them juvi greater Amberjack.......they are everywhere........but no adults right?....well, Rec's didn't catch em all at one each per person per trip...which no body does anyway.........so why are they verbotton in the western Gulf?


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## BullyARed (Jun 19, 2010)

It's a fish trap. Oh no! It's a greater AJ, it would be $200 fine sir!


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## FishNFam (Jun 24, 2010)

fisher__man said:


> A A&M grad student did a research project on fish around sargasum using small purse seines and found that the vast majority of jacks in the western gulf around the weed lines were greater and with the overlaying fin raycpunts gill rakers or genetics was the only way to tell the difference.
> I will try to get the research and post it if I can.


Were you able to find the study? Will pm you too--I'd love to have that on hand--maybe will take a pic next time out if I can of the hundreds/thousands of jacks around the weeds & post on GOM/FMC's facebook page.....


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