Atlantic Tarpon

Photo: Rachel Andres-Beck · CC BY-NC

Tarpon are regular visitors to the Casamance, moving between the open Atlantic and estuarine channels in pursuit of mullet and other forage fish. They can reach 2.5 metres and approach 160 kg, and their chrome-scaled flanks make them visually dramatic even in the limited visibility of the estuary. Tarpon have an accessory breathing organ that allows them to gulp air, a key adaptation for surviving the low-oxygen water of warm estuaries.