Least Concern· population decreasing· assessed 2019

Bigeye jack

Caranx sexfasciatus

Sighting evidence at Cabo Pulmo Reef, Sea of Cortez

Photo: Alex Lamoreaux · CC BY-NC

Bigeye jacks form the iconic "tornado" schools that Cabo Pulmo is famous for: tens of thousands of individuals rotate in a tight column that can be 10 m wide and stretch from the bottom to the surface. The school behavior is a predator-confusion defense mechanism and the sheer scale of the aggregation at Cabo Pulmo — possible only because the reef is so productive — is one of the most visually arresting spectacles in the eastern Pacific.

Evidence at this site

29 records within 25 km

Confidence: medium

Last confirmed May 2026

Seasonality

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How is this calculated?

Sighting evidence is compiled from iNaturalist observation records within a set proximity radius, filtered for quality-grade observations. “Last confirmed” is the date of the most recent research-grade record. Record count covers a rolling 24-month window. Confidence reflects record count, recency, and consistency of seasonal signal.

Bigeye jack

Evidence at this site

Seasonality

Also seen at other sites