Courtesy of Robert A. Patzner, University of Salzburg, Austria, http://www.zoologie.sbg.ac.at/people/patzner_home.htm

	QuickTime (48K) Click this button to use any media player High-pitched grunts from adult bar jacks. From CD Supplement to: Sounds of the Western North Atlantic Fishes by Fish & Mowbray, 1970. CD ©University of Rhode Island, 2001

Life History and Habitat
The bar jack ranges from New Jersey through the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico but is uncommon in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Although inhabiting temperate waters of the western Atlantic, this species is most abundant in clear tropical waters and is the most common member of the genus in the West Indies and Bahamas. It is typically associated with coral reefs or Sargassum and occurs in schools of various sizes. Both males and females mature by 3-4 years. The spawning season occurs throughout most of the year but several authors report peak spawning during the spring and summer months.

Sound Production
This species has been reported to produce high pitched grunts as a fright response when captured and handled. These sounds are produced by grinding of teeth and use of the swim bladder - sonic muscle mechanism. Sound production associated with courtship and spawning has not been documented for this species.

References
• Caribbean Fisheries Management Council: Caribbean Sustainable Fisheries Act Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. May 2003.
• FishBase.org: Bar Jack Species Summary
• Fish, M.P. and Mowbray, H.M. 1970. Sounds of Western North Atlantic Fishes. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins Press. p. 62
• Hoese, H.D. and Moore, R.H. 1998. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico: Texas, Louisiana, and Adjacent Waters. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, Texas 77843