Indo-Pacific Tarpon

The Indo-Pacific tarpon or oxeye, Megalops cyprinoides, inhabits tropical coastal and brackish waters of the Indo-Pacific oceans.

In appearance, it is like the Atlantic tarpon, Megalops atlanticus: olive-green on top, and silver on the sides. The large mouth is turned upwards; the lower jaw contains an elongated, bony plate. The last ray of the dorsal fin is much longer than the others, reaching nearly to the tail.

It feeds on smaller fish and crustaceans. It is capable of filling its swim bladder with air and absorbing oxygen from it.

The Indo-Pacific tarpon migrates between the open sea and inland rivers. As with all Elopiformes, it spawns at sea, the larvae migrate inland and are leptocephalic (flattened, transparent and eel-like).