Appearance and Biology of The Amberjack

Greater amberjack have a dark amber strip on their head, extending from their nose to their first dorsal (back) fin, which becomes more defined when the fish is excited or feeding.
They have a brownish or bluish-grey back, a silvery-white belly, and an amber horizontal strip along the middle of their body.
Juveniles have a yellow color and five or six dark vertical bars along the sides.

Greater amberjack can grow up to 6 feet long and live to be 17 years old.
Adults can weigh up to 200 pounds, but are most commonly found to be up to 40 pounds.
Females grow larger in size and live longer than males.
Greater amberjack mature at about 3 to 4 years of age and spawn primarily from March to June on reefs and shipwrecks. A female can release between 18 and 59 million eggs during a single spawning season.
Adults eat mostly crab, squid, and other fishes found on reefs.
Juveniles feed on plankton, including crustacean larvae and other small invertebrates.
Predators include seabirds and larger fishes, such as yellowfin tuna.