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Cottonmouth jack facts for kids

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Cottonmouth jack
Uraspis secunda.jpg
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Synonyms
  • Caranx secundus Poey, 1860
  • Caranx hullianus McCulloch, 1909
  • Bassetina hullianus (McCulloch, 1909)
  • Leucoglossa albilinguis Jordan, Evermann & Wakiya, 1927
  • Uraspis reversa Jordan, Evermann & Wakiya, 1927
  • Uraspis riukiuensis Wakiya, 1927
  • Uraspis heidi Fowler, 1938
  • Uraspis wakiyai Williams, 1961
  • Uraspis cadenati Blache & Rossignol, 1962

The cottonmouth jack (Uraspis secunda) is a type of gamefish. It belongs to the Carangidae family. This family includes many kinds of jacks and trevally.

A Cuban zoologist named Felipe Poey first described this fish in 1860. He wrote about it in his book, "Natural History of the Island of Cuba." People also call this fish the cottonmouth trevally.

What the Cottonmouth Jack Looks Like

Adult cottonmouth jacks are usually dark in color. Young cottonmouth jacks, called juveniles, are pale. They have six or seven brown stripes along their sides.

These fish get their name "cottonmouth" from their unique mouth. Their mouth and tongue are a bright, bleach-white color. This helps tell them apart from other fish in their family.

The cottonmouth jack has two main fins on its back. The first dorsal fin has nine stiff spines. The second dorsal fin has twenty-seven to thirty-two soft rays. Its anal fin has three spines and nineteen to twenty-three soft rays.

The longest cottonmouth jack ever found was about 50 cm (20 inches) long. The heaviest one weighed about 2.04 kg (4.5 pounds).

Where the Cottonmouth Jack Lives

The cottonmouth jack lives in the open ocean. This means it swims in the middle or upper layers of the water. You can find them at depths from 1 to 36 m (3 to 118 ft).

They live in many different oceans around the world.

Cottonmouth jacks usually swim throughout the water column. Sometimes, they are seen feeding near the bottom, especially around islands. They are not very common. You usually see them alone or in small groups.

See Also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Uraspis secunda para niños

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