Permit have not been evaluated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) or any other conservation-based organization. In Florida, commercial landings peaked in 1991 with approximately 91,000 kg. Combined commercial and recreational harvest in 1991 for Florida was 272,000 kg, and has not exceeded 136,000 kg since. As a result of perceived population declines, permit are only to be caught with light tackle (i.e., hook and line) via recreational vessels. In addition, Florida has established fishing regulations that limit fisherman to 6 permit per person per day, ranging from 28 to 51 cm, and only 2 fish per vessel exceeding 51 cm.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
Permit develop in three life stages; larvae, juvenile, and adult. The life cycle of a permit begins in a cloud of gametes during spawning. Upon fertilization, eggs develop into planktonic larvae in pelagic waters. Approximately 15 to 20 days after hatching, permit measure between 8 mm to 10 mm, and begin settling on windward sandy beaches. After settling on coastal habitats, larval permit begin developing into juveniles. As juveniles, permit measure between 10 mm and 400 mm. Once permit reach sexual maturity they are considered adults, which typically occurs between 400 mm and 500 mm in length and 2 to 3 years of age.
There are no known adverse affects of permit on humans.
Permit are a large part of the recreational fishing industry throughout their geographic range, but specifically in Florida and Belize, and are often the subject of studies investigating marine aquaculture.
Positive Impacts: food ; ecotourism
In all stages of life, permit are both predators and prey. Permit are also host to a number of parasites. As juveniles, they are often found with ectoparasitic isopods and fish lice attached to the mouth, gills and skin. Juveniles are also found with mature and immature roundworms in the viscera or within a body cavity.
Commensal/Parasitic Species:
The diet of permit changes throughout their life. Larvae are planktivorous, and as juveniles, permit begin feeding on copepods, amphipods, mysids, shrimp and larval fish. Once they reach 35 mm in length, they begin feeding on benthic prey, including crabs, clams, polychaetes, gastropods, echinoids, and pelecypods. The development of small, conical teeth during adulthood allows them to crush the hard exoskeletons of their prey.
Animal Foods: fish; aquatic or marine worms; aquatic crustaceans; echinoderms; other marine invertebrates; zooplankton
Primary Diet: carnivore (Piscivore , Eats non-insect arthropods, Vermivore, Eats other marine invertebrates); planktivore
Permit are native to the Nearctic and Neotropical regions. They can be found along the Atlantic coast of the United States, extending from Massachusetts to southern Florida. Permit are also found throughout the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea south to the Brazilian Coast.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native ); neotropical (Native )
Permit inhabit a large variety of aquatic habitats throughout their lives. Adults utilize tidal flats, near-shore reefs, near-shore wrecks, and offshore waters. Although juveniles primarily inhabit near-beach shorelines and windward sandy beaches with sparse sea grass, they can also be found in and around mangrove swamps. Larvae are pelagic before settling on the aforementioned juvenile habitat. Permit are most often found 0.5 to 100 m below the surface of the water.
Range depth: 0.5 to 100 m.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; saltwater or marine
Aquatic Biomes: pelagic ; reef ; coastal ; brackish water
Wetlands: swamp
Other Habitat Features: estuarine ; intertidal or littoral
Although permit can live for up to 23 years in the wild, most individuals captured during recreational fishing events are between 10 and 15 years of age.
Range lifespan
Status: wild: 23 (high) years.
Typical lifespan
Status: wild: 10 to 15 years.
Permit are often characterized as short, compressed and deep-bodied fish with a sloping head that terminates in a blunt snout. The body is silvery gray and progressively darkens in a ventrodorsal manner to bluish gray. Their upper jaw is narrow and ends under the midline of the eyes. They have small, conical teeth that are slightly curve toward the caudal fin. Many individuals have a dusky spot near the pectoral fin. Juvenile permit are capable of altering their anal and pelvic fins from silver and black to silver with bright-orange to dark-red. Normally, the dorsal fin has 5 to 6 short spines followed by one larger spine and 17 to 21 soft rays. The first spine on the dorsal fin may be resorbed in larger fish. The anal fin consists of 2 spines followed by a larger spine and 16 to 19 soft rays. The largest specimen on record weighed 23 kg and measured 122 cm in length. Females are generally larger than males.
Range mass: 23 (high) kg.
Range length: 122 (high) cm.
Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: female larger
No information concerning the potential predators of permit is currently available. However, it is believed that because juveniles inhabit exposed, sandy beaches they fall prey to piscivorous fish and avian predators. Adult permit are capable of becoming very large and are believed to be preyed upon by large marine carnivores, such as sharks and porpoises. In addition, permit are a highly esteemed game fish and are often sought by recreational fishermen. Their tendency to school and coloration are probably antipredator adaptations that help reduce risk of predation.
Known Predators:
Anti-predator Adaptations: cryptic
There is no information available regarding communication and perception in permit. However, they likely use sight and olfaction to perceive their local environment. The lateral line system allows them to sense changes in pressure and temperature throughout their immediate environment, helping them find food and avoid potential predators.
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; chemical
Permit are broadcast spawners, which spawn in large aggregations of 250 to 500 individuals near offshore reefs. Between 4 and 10 days after a full moon, large aggregations begin to form near reef promontories around sunset. Schools gather between 5 m and 20 m in depth prior to descending to deeper waters, from 25 m to 50 m. Small subgroups, consisting of 5 to 10 fish led by a large female, rise to the apex of the school to commence spawning. Pursuit males force the vent of the lead female upward as the group ascends through the water column. Once the lead female stops its ascent and begins releasing eggs, pursuing males position their vents as close as possible to that of the female while releasing sperm. Once gamete release is complete, the spawning subgroup quickly descends to rejoin the larger group of conspecifics.
Mating System: polyandrous
Permit spawn multiple times per year and spawning season varies geographically. In general, the farther south a population is, the longer the spawning season. Although some populations spawn from May through July, more southerly populations spawn from February to October. Prolonged settlement of larval and juvenile permit on sandy, windward beaches, suggests year-round breeding in some populations; however, this has not been verified. Average age of reproductive maturity is 2.3 years in males and 3.1 years in females.
Breeding interval: Permit spawn multiple times a year.
Breeding season: Spawning season varies geographically, but generally occurs during spring and summer.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 3.1 years.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 2.3 years.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (External ); broadcast (group) spawning; oviparous
As broadcast spawners, permit provide no parental care to offspring.
Parental Investment: no parental involvement
The permit (Trachinotus falcatus) is a game fish of the western Atlantic Ocean belonging to the family Carangidae. Adults feed on crabs, shrimp, and smaller fish.
The permit was first described by the "father of taxonomy", Carl Linnaeus in his 10th 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 in the genus Trachinotus.[3] It is the type species of the genus Trachinotus.[4]
The permit's genus name, Trachinotus comes from a fusion of the Greek words trachys (τραχύς), which means "rough", and noton (νῶτον), meaning "back".[5] The species name for the permit, falcatus, is a Latin adjective, which roughly means "armed with scythes". 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.[3]
Permit can be distinguished by their elongated dorsal fins and anal fin.[3] 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. [3]
The average permit has six or seven dorsal spines, and 18 to 21 soft rays. The anal fin has two or three spines, and 16 to 18 soft rays.[2] Both dorsal and anal fins have dark, anterior lobes.[6] Permit 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.[7]
The permit fish can reach a maximum length of 48 in (122 cm) and can weigh up to 79 lb (36 kg), according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.
Permit are usually found in shallow, tropical waters such as mudflats, channels, and muddy bottoms.[3][2] Although permit are found close to shore and even in some brackish areas, they spawn offshore.[6] Young are found usually in the surf zone where small invertebrates are available for them to eat.
Permit are found in the western Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Brazil, including most of the Caribbean islands.[2]
Two submarines 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.
A permit caught off the coast of Nicaragua
Another, near seagrass in the Florida Keys
A wild permit off the coast of Belize
The permit (Trachinotus falcatus) is a game fish of the western Atlantic Ocean belonging to the family Carangidae. Adults feed on crabs, shrimp, and smaller fish.
