Depth
Seriola · Bony Fish

Greater Amberjack

Seriola dumerili

0-360m
Depth Range
Variable
Max Size
Mediterranean
Distribution
0-360m
Depth Range
Variable
Max Size
Open Water
Habitat
Carnivore
Diet
Solitary
Social
LC
IUCN Status
High
Sighting Likelihood
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Actinopterygii
Genus Seriola
Species dumerili

Bony Fish

Identification & Biology

  • IdentificationLarge, powerful, streamlined body with a pointed head. Blue-grey to olive back, silver flanks, and a distinctive dark diagonal stripe running from the snout through the eye to the first dorsal fin. Amber-coloured midline stripe.
  • SizeUp to 190 cm total length and 80 kg, commonly 60 to 120 cm.
  • Social HabitSchooling species, often in groups of 5 to 20. Circles reef structures and wrecks with confidence.
  • HabitatOpen water near reefs, wrecks, drop-offs, and seamounts. A fast, pelagic predator that stays near underwater structures.
  • Depth5 to 360 m, most common between 15 and 70 m.
  • Feeds OnFish, squid, and crustaceans. A powerful, fast predator that runs down its prey.
  • DistributionWorldwide in tropical and temperate seas. Common throughout the Mediterranean.
  • DescriptionThe largest jack in the Mediterranean and one of the most exciting fish to encounter on a dive. Greater amberjack cruise around wrecks and reefs with effortless power, often circling divers with apparent curiosity. A top target for sport fishers, their appearance always elevates a dive. Schools are regularly seen on Maltese wreck sites.

Range

Habitat & Distribution

Found across the Mediterranean, inhabiting open water environments. Active from the surface down to 360m depth.

Where Malta divers have spotted this species

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Sightings are logged by divers using our What Did You See? dive-log tool. View the full live sightings map.

Detail

Preferred Environment

Open Water habitats, typically at depths of 0-360m. Most commonly encountered by divers at the shallower end of its range.

Encounter Tips

Best approached slowly and calmly. Avoid casting shadows directly over the animal. Neutral buoyancy and patience increase encounter success significantly.

Greater Amberjack species card

Biology

Behaviour & Diet

Feeding Strategy

A fast, powerful predator that hunts schooling fish such as bogue and mackerel in mid-water. Also takes cephalopods and large crustaceans.

Pelagic hunter

Reproduction

Spawns in open water during summer. Juveniles are pelagic and associate with floating debris before recruiting to deeper structure as they grow.

Summer spawner

Behaviour & Defence

Speed and size are its primary defences. Adults can exceed 50 kilograms and swim fast enough to outpace most predators.

Speed

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Where to Encounter in Malta

The following dive sites offer strong habitat match for Seriola dumerili. All are accessible on a guided dive with diveshack.

0-30m
Comino

Blue Lagoon

Open water around Comino is a known passage for pelagic species, especially in summer.

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5-30m
North Malta

Cirkewwa

The channel crossing at Cirkewwa draws pelagic species following currents from the open sea.

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18-36m
South Malta

Um El Faroud

The open reef beyond the wreck is visited by pelagic and semi-pelagic species on feeding runs.

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IUCN Red List Least Concern

Conservation Status

This species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Mediterranean populations face ongoing pressure from fishing activity, habitat degradation, and climate-driven changes to prey availability.

Source: iNaturalist Guide #888
by Lesley Clements (CC BY-SA)
diveshack Mediterranean Marine Life guide