• Fossil research shows that tarpon have been swimming in our oceans since prehistoric times
• Tarpon can reach sizes up to 8 feet and can weigh up to 280 pounds
• The life span of tarpon can be in excess of 50 years
• Due to its majestic appearance of size and color, the tarpon is nicknamed "silver king"
• Tarpon are primarily found in shallow coastal waters and estuaries, but they are also found in open marine waters, around coral reefs, and in some freshwater lakes and rivers
• Tarpon range from Virginia to central Brazil in the western Atlantic, along the coast of Africa in the eastern Atlantic, and all through the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea
• Because of its strength, stamina and fighting ability, the tarpon is one of Florida's premier gamefish
• Tarpon have a special ability to gulp air at the surface when they are in a habitat that doesn't provide enough oxygen
• In their larval stage, Tarpon are transparent, have a ribbonlike body and prominent fanglike teeth, and are less than an inch long
• Tarpon can only be fished recreationally in Florida. The majority of recreational anglers practice catch and release since the fish is not considered to be of any food value. However, anglers can possess them for trophy purposes at the cost of a special permit: limit - two per day

One of Florida?s most spectacular game fish, the tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) is a feisty foe whose powerful leaps from the water and bone-jarring bursts of speed test the skill and fortitude of even the most experienced angler. A hardy giant that can survive in a variety of habitats and salinities, the tarpon can even gulp air for extended periods when not enough oxygen is present in the water to sustain it. Despite its popularity among sport fishermen, many aspects of this extremely long-lived fish?s life cycle and behavior remain a mystery.

DESCRIPTION
Tarpon share an ancient lineage with such seemingly disparate fish as bonefish, ladyfish, and eels. Indeed, tarpon-like fish have been discovered in fossils dating to the Cretaceous period, 100 million years ago. In prehistoric times, there were many more species of tarpon; today, there are just two: one that frequents the Atlantic and another found in the Indo-Pacific area.

Tarpon are silvery colored with blue-gray backs. Underwater, they appear to shimmer like huge gray ghosts as they swim sedately by. This appearance, along with their impressive size, is likely responsible for their nickname, ?silver king?. The huge mouth of the tarpon has a projecting, upturned lower jaw that contains an elongated bony plate. The tarpon?s single short dorsal fin originates just behind the origin of the pelvic (or belly) fin. The last ray on the dorsal fin is very long and thin. Tarpon have a deeply forked tail fin and very large, platelike scales.

Until recently, tarpon were thought to have a life span of only about 15 years. However, using new, more accurate techniques to count annually deposited rings in the earbones (otoliths) of fish, researchers found one individual that had lived 55 years. Most of the fish caught in the fishery are 15 to 30 years old.

The world?s fishing record for a tarpon wasset in 1991 when a 283-pounder was landed off the coast of Africa. The Florida record for tarpon caught with conventional tackle was a 243-pound fish captured off Key West in 1975.

RANGE AND HABITAT
Tarpon have been reported as far north as Nova Scotia and have also been found off the coast of Ireland. However, they prefer tropical and sub-tropical waters and are most common from Virginia to central Brazil and throughout the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Because tarpon are sensitive to cold water, their range is generally limited to temperate climates. In Florida, they are found in water depths ranging from less than 3 feet to more than 80 feet.

Although scientists believe the western Atlantic stock is genetically uniform, they have observed regional differences in behavior andsize. Tarpon in Costa Rica, for example, are generally smaller than Florida tarpon, and Costa Rica tarpon spawn throughout the year rather than seasonally as Florida tarpon do.

Tarpon thrive in a variety of habitats. They move offshore to marine waters to spawn, and the larvae gradually make their way to marshes and mangrove embayments in estuaries. Adults frequent a range of habitats, from nearshore coastal waters to stagnant pools, and can often be seen patrolling the coral reefs of the Florida Keys. In Costa Rica and Nicaragua, tarpon are frequently caught in freshwater lakes and rivers miles from the coast.

Although tarpon do migrate, little is known about the frequency or extent of their travels. Scientists do know that tarpon captured in Florida have later been recaptured as far west as Louisiana and as far north as South Carolina.

LIFE HISTORY
In May and June, tarpon begin gathering together in areas near the coast in preparation for the journey to their offshore spawning grounds. In these staging areas, scientists and fishermen have observed schools of tarpon swimming in a circular, rotating motion. This behavior, known as a ?daisy chain,? may be a sort of prenuptial tarpon tango that prepares the fish for spawning. The actual exodus to the offshore spawning areas is probably triggered by lunar phases and tides.

During each spawning season, each female may produce from 4.5 to 20.7 million eggs. The heavier the fish, the more eggs she is likely to shed.

Scientists have never observed tarpon spawning or collected their fertilized eggs. Although no one knows exactly where tarpon spawn, tarpon larvae only a few days old have been collected as far as 125 miles offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. Spawning in Florida occurs mainly in May, June, and July.

The eggs hatch into larvae called leptocephali. These bizarre-looking creatures have a transparent, ribbonlike body with slender, fang like teeth.
The leptocephali drift with the currents toward the shore, reaching estuarine areas within about 30 days. Storms may assist in pushing the larvae toward their inshore nurseries.

By the time the larvae reach these inshore areas, they are about an inch long. At this point, they begin an amazing transformation in which they lose their teeth and begin shrinking in length, winding up as miniature versions of the behemoths they will eventually become. Scientists don?t know how long this metamorphosis takes.

The juvenile tarpon make their way into marshes and mangrove swamps, where they will spend the remainder of the first year of their life. They are often found in stagnant pools. They grow rapidly and are about a foot long within one to two years. Females usually grow more quickly and are larger than males, and both reach sexual maturity at around 10 years of age. The sex of a tarpon cannot reliably be determined until their second or third year and then only by an internal examination.

Tarpon are often found in schools with other tarpon and are opportunistic eaters that feed on a variety of fish and crabs. They can tolerate various salinities, but they are vulnerable to cold snaps and become stressed when water temperatures fall below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Although adults can often seek refuge from the cold in deep holes and channels, young fish are less able to escape cold waters.

One particularly remarkable facet of tarpon physiology is the fish?s ability to breathe both underwater and out of the water. When dissolved oxygen levels in the water are adequate, tarpon breathe like most fish, through their gills. When oxygen levels are depleted, however, they can also breathe by gulping air, which is then passed along to their highly specialized swim bladder. The swim bladder functions as an accessory lung and even resembles that organ, with its spongy, highly vascular tissue. The swim bladder can also be filled with air as needed to help the fish maintain its desired depth in the water. Scientists believe the tarpon?s ability to breathe air is a nifty adaptation that allows it to survive in the stagnant, oxygen-poor pools and ditches it frequents.

FISHERY HISTORY AND MANAGEMENT
Tarpon have long been a target for Florida fishermen. While they are not considered good to eat, their size and fighting prowess have made them one of the state?s most coveted sportfish. As long ago as the beginning of the 20th century, fishermen in canoes hunted tarpon with a variety of equipment, from harpoons to hand lines. In 1953, Florida officials established a fishing limit of two tarpon per day and prohibited their sale. In 1989, the Florida legislature established a permit system in which the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) deter-mines the number of permits that can be sold; a permit is required if the fisherman wishes to kill and keep the fish. In 1996, the permit cost $50 for a year. By 1997, landings of tarpon had declined to less than 100 a year, so the fishery is now largely a catch-and-release endeavor in which a permit is not required.*

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