# Greater AJ?



## First Catch (Oct 1, 2007)

Does anybody know for sure if this is a greater amberjack?


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

The only way to tell for sure is the gill rakes inside the gills.


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## Tuna Man (Oct 2, 2007)

> *First Catch (11/3/2007)*Does anybody know for sure if this is a greater amberjack?


Could be wrong but to me and by all descriptions I've read it looks like a Lesser. But like said the Gill Rakes?? The main difference between the two amberjacks is the greater amberjack is longer than the lesser amberjack. In fact, the greater amberjack is four times longer than it is deep (side height); while the lesser amberjack is only about 3-1/2 times longer than deep (I tried measuring from your picture, and got a little more then 3.5 times), not counting the fins. If a ruler and calculator aren't handy and you really want to know, lift up the gill and count the finger shaped projections from the first gill. If it's a greater amberjack there are about 20 of these; in the lesser amberjack there are about 25. Also, but very hard to tell and you virtually need each side by side..Greater the dark, oblique line through the eye ends at the first ray of the dorsal fin...Lesser the line stops short of the dorsal fin. Now to remember this while trying to count Gill Rakes on a thrashing fish. .....Greateris Less...Lesseris greater...Hope this helps.


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## Travis Gill (Oct 6, 2007)

Its a plain old amberjack, therefore a greater.


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## JoshH (Sep 28, 2007)

Looks greater to me. Whered ya catch him?


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

looks undersized to me. and lesser.


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## Ocean Man (Sep 27, 2007)

Looks like a greater to me.


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## Brandy (Sep 28, 2007)

lesser for sure


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## FenderBender (Oct 2, 2007)

Greater for sure IMO. Got this info about lessers off the SAFMC page. "The lesser amberjack occurs in the Eastern and Western Atlantic Oceans. In the Atlantic, it is found from Massachusetts to Brazil. This is a benthopelagic species, primarily found in depths of 55-130 m (180-427 ft). Maximum reported size is 68 cm (27 in) FL. It feeds on squids and fishes. "

This tells me they are a MUCH deeper water amberjack than a greater, and a barely "legal" greater is a RECORD sized lesser. 

http://www.safmc.net/FishIDandRegs/FishGallery/LesserAmberjack/tabid/300/Default.aspx


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## talleyban (Sep 28, 2007)

I'm going to have to say Lesser. Look at the pics side by side from the link. I would say you had a very large Lesser AJ

http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/fishing/programs/animal/amberjack.cfm


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## Stressless (Oct 2, 2007)

If you kept him and ate him it was a Greater AJ.

If you threw him back and he got ate by a damned dolphin it was a Greater AJ

If you counted gill rakers poked around under the gill covering with bacteria covered fingers it was a Greater AJ

If you took higher calculus and measured the angle of the inflection point from the soft dorsal ray it was a Greater AJ

If you said - "This fish isn't 28" and I don't want to kill it without knowing for sure what it is.." you tossed back a Lesser AJ and should still feel good about it.


:mmmbeer

Stressless


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## true-king (Oct 2, 2007)

> *Stressless (11/5/2007)*If you kept him and ate him it was a Greater AJ.
> 
> If you threw him back and he got ate by a damned dolphin it was a Greater AJ
> 
> ...


good call :clap


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## Sea-r-cy (Oct 3, 2007)

I've been fishing saltwater for around 10 years now, I still can't tell 100% for sure. Ask an expert, they use terms like "smaller eyes" or "lighter color" or one is "less" something, etc.No one seems to be able to tell me a 100% way to tell the difference.:boo

Therefore, I onlykeep AJ's thatare over 28". I'm sure I've thrown back countless LAJ's, but I've never gotten a ticket for keeping the wrong fish.:bowdown

Sea-r-cy


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## fishprintingfool (Sep 30, 2007)

It's close to a world record if it's a lesser!



ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/009/y4162e/y4162e09.pdf



Mike


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

If it tasted great it was a greater


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## Bigg J (Nov 7, 2007)

yessir i believe itis


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## timl74 (Oct 10, 2007)

Banded rudderfish.. 

i had this same conversation a couple of months ago on here.. It is definately easier to tell side by side, FWC told me that lessers are caught here, but usually out in DEEP water, but you will catch plenty of undersize GAJtheway to tell teh difference between them and them andbanded rudderfish is the anal fin is half the length or shorter of the dorsal fin.. 

Good luck, but my call on that one is banded rudderfish


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## First Catch (Oct 1, 2007)

Thanks for all the info. I'm thinking it was a lesser but I guess there's no for sure way to tell:banghead. If it was a lesser it sounds like its a pretty big one. Only thing is, it was caught in 120ft of water, and from what you guys have told me, Lessers are generally in deeper water... Still don't for sure though. By the way it was 33".


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## First Catch (Oct 1, 2007)

What's the world record lesser AJ?


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## Travis Gill (Oct 6, 2007)

ITS A GREATER!!!!! definitely not a rudderfish.


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## Captain Woody Woods (Oct 2, 2007)

> *timl74` (11/7/2007)*Banded rudderfish..


LOL you gotta be kidding me. pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease correct me if im wrong, but i dont think rudderfish get anything close to as big as an amberjack. last i checked, we sabiki'd up rudderfish under weed paddies and close to rig legs to use as live bait for either dorado or amberjack.


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## Nitzey (Oct 9, 2007)

Well, the length gives it away. It is greater. 

Also, the photo shows to me it is a greater. Lesser are different in shape and coloration. And lesser are caught in very deep water. I have caught them at The Edge, but not further in than that.

Beware counting gill rakers. In all similar species, they change with age.

Also beware the FWC. They know not the idiosyncracies.


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## orion (Oct 3, 2007)

> *First Catch (11/7/2007)*What's the world record lesser AJ?


I could not find anything on a world or Florida Lesser amberjack record, the only record i could find for lesser was in Mississippi and that record is 5 lb 8 oz. I'm no expert, but I say thats a greater amberjack.


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## Deeplines (Sep 28, 2007)

It's a GREATER.

Can't tell if it is legal but it is a GREATER AJ.


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## fishaholic (Oct 2, 2007)

As far as records go, according to the book called Sport Fish of Florida by Vic Dunaway distributed by Florida Sportsman, it lists the world record Greater AJ as 155 lbs 10 oz and Fl record as 142 lbs but I didn't see anything about the record of a lesser AJ. It did mention under the description/size of the lesser that it "seldom, perhaps never, exceeds 12 inches". It also says that the most obvious difference is that the band through the eye stops noticeably forward of the dorsal fin on the lesser AJ.


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## BigFishKB (Oct 1, 2007)

Here is the way I see it. If it is under 28" its a greater and if its over 28" its a lesser so I cant be wrong either way. I was caught one time and lets say its not worth the time or effort to try to talk to the man when he stops to check you.


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