Greater Amberjack - Seriola dumerili - Close Profile above Cirkewwa Reef

A Greater Amberjack passes close to the camera above Cirkewwa Reef in Malta, revealing its powerful silver body and deeply forked tail.

The Greater Amberjack (Seriola dumerili) has a powerful, elongated and streamlined body that is moderately compressed from side to side, with a well-developed head, narrow caudal peduncle and deeply forked tail. Its colour is generally bluish-grey or olive above and silvery-white below, often with a subtle amber or yellowish stripe running along the middle of the body. A strong and fast-swimming predator, it inhabits open water as well as rocky reefs, offshore structures and steep coastal drop-offs, where it feeds mainly on fishes together with squid and crustaceans. Greater Amberjacks may occur alone or in small groups. The species is widespread throughout the Mediterranean and other tropical and warm-temperate seas, is commonly encountered at depths of about 18–72 metres and can reach approximately 190 centimetres in total length, although around one metre is more typical. This photograph captures a close side profile of an individual swimming above Cirkewwa Reef in Malta.