My buddy caught this while out in the canyons. It hit a small green machine spreader bar. It is about a foot long.
He took the photo with his iPhone just before he went to put it into the tuna tube to be later bridled as a live bait but it got away from him missed the tube and found freedom.
Any ideas what this is?

Juvi amberjack or maybe a Almaco jack.. Wish we could see the dorsal :)

Greater amberjack, looks like... Dorsal/anal fins don't look long enough to be an Almaco... Unless they're shorter when young.

I'd say greater amberjack is the best bet.

Here's some info, I'd go with lesser amberjack?

Even though an experienced angler who has caught both species can clearly distinguish between the two, there's usually a problem when it comes to distinguishing the subtle difference between the greater amberjack and the lesser amberjack.

The main difference between the two amberjacks is the greater amberjack is longer than the lesser amberjack. In fact, the greater amberjack is four times longer than it is deep (side height); while the lesser amberjack is only about 3-1/2 times longer than deep, not counting the fins. If a ruler and calculator aren't handy and you really want to know, lift up the gill and count the finger shaped projections from the first gill. If it's a greater amberjack there are about 20 of these; in the lesser amberjack there are about 25.

Amberjack fishing methods tips tactics techniques characteristics how to fish catch AJ's (http://www.jerrylabella.com/amberjack.htm)


Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/fishing/programs/animal/amberjack.cfm)

I don't think on a lesser the stripe goes from the snout to the eye- it just goes from the eye to the nape.

Unfortunately the first dorsal isn't up- if the stripe extends to where the first dorsal begins it's a greater, if it hits the nape before the first dorsal it's a lesser (thank you Peterson's).

Probably just easiest to call it an amberjack and be done with it :rotf2:

yup, AJ or Almaco. Almaco's are darker but have stouter bodies and longer fins... as juveniles, who knows.

aggressive little buggers. had a 15lb Almaco fight literally to death on 20lb spin gear in the islands.

amberjack

I don't think on a lesser the stripe goes from the snout to the eye- it just goes from the eye to the nape.

Probably just easiest to call it an amberjack and be done with it :rotf2:

Missed that on the ID, not a Lesser!