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Permit (fish)
Encyclopedia
The permit, Trachinotus falcatus, is a game fish of the western Atlantic ocean
belonging to the Carangidae
family
. Adults feed on crab
s, shrimp
, and smaller fish
. Two submarine
s of the United States Navy
were named USS Permit
in its honor, in keeping with the "denizens of the deep" theme of submarine names that prevailed before the 1971 naming of USS Los Angeles
.
in his tenth edition
of the work Systema Naturae
, which was published in 1758. He originally classified it as Labrus falcatus though the fish has since been placed under the genus Trachinotus.In Sri Lanka
, It is know by the name Kukulamass.
name for the permit, falcatus, is a Latin adjective, which roughly means "armed with scythe
s." This serves as a reference to the permit's dorsal fin
that occasionally protrudes from the water when schools
of permit feed near the surface.
s and anal fin. The dorsal fin is shaped like a scythe. Permit tails are also deeply forked, and their bodies are compressed laterally, making the fish tall and thin when viewed from the front.
The average permit has six to seven dorsal spines
, and eighteen to twenty one soft rays. The anal fin has two to three spines, and sixteen to eighteen soft rays. Both dorsal and anal fins have dark, anterior lobes
. Permits have no scutes and have a large, orange-yellow patch on their abdomens in front of their anal fins, while their pectoral fins are dark
The Permit fish can reach a maximum length of 48 inches (122 cm) and can weigh up to 79 pounds (36 kg), according to the Florida Museum of Natural History
, and muddy bottoms. They are usually seen as individuals or in small schools; if approached when alone, they attempt to escape human interaction, but if approached when in a school formation, they become aggressive and can deliver dangerous bites.
Although permit are found close to shore and even in some brackish areas, they spawn offshore. Young Permit are found usually in the surf zone
where there are plenty of small invertebrates for them to feed on.
Permit are found in the western Atlantic ocean from Massachusetts
to Brazil
, including most of the Caribbean
islands.
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
belonging to the Carangidae
Carangidae
Carangidae is a family of fish which includes the jacks, pompanos, jack mackerels, and scads.They are marine fish found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans...
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
. Adults feed on crab
Crab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
s, shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
, and smaller fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
. Two submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
were named USS Permit
USS Permit
Two ships of the United States Navy have borne the name USS Permit, named in honor of the permit, a food fish, often called "round pompano", found in waters from North Carolina to Brazil....
in its honor, in keeping with the "denizens of the deep" theme of submarine names that prevailed before the 1971 naming of USS Los Angeles
USS Los Angeles (SSN-688)
USS Los Angeles , lead ship of her class of submarines, is the fourth ship of the United States Navy to be named for Los Angeles, California. The contract to build her was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia on 8 January 1971 and her keel was laid...
.
Taxonomy
The permit was first described by the "father of taxonomy", Carolus LinnaeusCarolus Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
in his tenth edition
10th edition of Systema Naturae
The 10th edition of Systema Naturae was a book written by Carl Linnaeus and published in two volumes in 1758 and 1759, which marks the starting point of zoological nomenclature...
of the work Systema Naturae
Systema Naturae
The book was one of the major works of the Swedish botanist, zoologist and physician Carolus Linnaeus. The first edition was published in 1735...
, which was published in 1758. He originally classified it as Labrus falcatus though the fish has since been placed under the genus Trachinotus.In Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, It is know by the name Kukulamass.
Etymology
The permit's genus name, Trachinotus comes from a fusion of the Greek words , which means "rough", and , meaning "back." The speciesSpecies
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
name for the permit, falcatus, is a Latin adjective, which roughly means "armed with scythe
Scythe
A scythe is an agricultural hand tool for mowing grass, or reaping crops. It was largely replaced by horse-drawn and then tractor machinery, but is still used in some areas of Europe and Asia. The Grim Reaper is often depicted carrying or wielding a scythe...
s." This serves as a reference to the permit's dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
that occasionally protrudes from the water when schools
Shoaling and schooling
In biology, any group of fish that stay together for social reasons are said to be shoaling , and if, in addition, the group is swimming in the same direction in a coordinated manner, they are said to be schooling . In common usage, the terms are sometimes used rather loosely...
of permit feed near the surface.
Anatomy and morphology
Permits can be distinguished by their elongated dorsal finDorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
s and anal fin. The dorsal fin is shaped like a scythe. Permit tails are also deeply forked, and their bodies are compressed laterally, making the fish tall and thin when viewed from the front.
The average permit has six to seven dorsal spines
Spine (zoology)
A spine is a hard, thorny or needle-like structure which occurs on various animals. Animals such as porcupines and sea urchins grow spines as a self-defense mechanism. Spines are often formed of keratin...
, and eighteen to twenty one soft rays. The anal fin has two to three spines, and sixteen to eighteen soft rays. Both dorsal and anal fins have dark, anterior lobes
Lobe (anatomy)
In anatomy, a lobe is a clear anatomical division or extension that can be determined without the use of a microscope This is in contrast to a lobule, which is a clear division only visible histologically....
. Permits have no scutes and have a large, orange-yellow patch on their abdomens in front of their anal fins, while their pectoral fins are dark
The Permit fish can reach a maximum length of 48 inches (122 cm) and can weigh up to 79 pounds (36 kg), according to the Florida Museum of Natural History
Distribution and habitat
Permit are usually found in shallow, tropical waters such as flats, channelsChannel (geography)
In physical geography, a channel is the physical confine of a river, slough or ocean strait consisting of a bed and banks.A channel is also the natural or human-made deeper course through a reef, sand bar, bay, or any shallow body of water...
, and muddy bottoms. They are usually seen as individuals or in small schools; if approached when alone, they attempt to escape human interaction, but if approached when in a school formation, they become aggressive and can deliver dangerous bites.
Although permit are found close to shore and even in some brackish areas, they spawn offshore. Young Permit are found usually in the surf zone
Surf zone
As ocean surface waves come closer to shore they break, forming the foamy, bubbly surface we call surf. The region of breaking waves defines the surf zone. After breaking in the surf zone, the waves continue to move in, and they run up onto the sloping front of the beach, forming an uprush of...
where there are plenty of small invertebrates for them to feed on.
Permit are found in the western Atlantic ocean from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, including most of the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
islands.