About Trachinotus baillonii (Lacepède, 1801)
Size and Weight
Trachinotus baillonii, commonly called smallspotted dart, can reach a maximum total length of 60 cm (24 in) for males, and a maximum weight of 1.5 kg (3.3 lb).
Body Coloration
Its dorsal body color ranges from silvery blue to grey, with small black spots on the flanks, and the number of these spots increases as the fish ages. The ventral side of the body is silvery white.
Fin and Tail Structure
It has large, strong fins, a forked tail, and a narrow caudal base.
Diet
This species feeds on small fishes.
Taxonomic Description
Trachinotus baillonii was formally described in 1801 by French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède (1726–1825), originally under the name Caesiomorus bailloni. The name was originally recorded in an unpublished manuscript by Philibert Commerson.
Etymology of Specific Name
The specific name honors one of two French naturalists: either Louis Antoine François Baillon (1778–1851), or his father Jean François Emmanuel Baillon (1742–1801), and it is not clear which one is the honoree.
Geographical Distribution
This species is widespread across the Indo-Pacific region, ranging from the Red Sea and the coast of East Africa east to the Gambier Islands, and north to southern Japan. In the Marquesas Islands, this species is replaced by the closely related Marquesas dart, Trachinotus macrospilus.
Habitat Association
The smallspotted dart is a reef-associated fish.
Habitat Preferences and Behavior
It occurs in lagoons and on seaward reefs, and typically forms schools near the water surface.
