Atlantic Tarpon

The Atlantic tarpon is a large, silvery fish of the western Atlantic from Virginia to Brazil and the eastern Atlantic coast of Africa, typically 1.2 to 2.4 meters long with big eyes covered by adipose eyelids and a broad, upturned mouth. Its swim bladder doubles as a lung-like respiratory organ, letting it gulp air at the surface and survive in oxygen-poor waters, including brackish rivers and marshes it ascends from the sea. Prized above all for its size and spectacular leaping fight when hooked, it is considered poor eating, so most anglers release tarpon after landing them, sustaining a large catch-and-release sport fishery.