What Divers Should Know About Ricciole

The ricciole, or greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili), is a formidable presence in temperate, subtropical, and tropical seas globally. This is the largest species in the family Carangidae, often reaching 100 cm in length, though individuals up to 190 cm and 80.6 kg have been recorded. Its body colouring ranges from brownish to bluish-grey dorsally with silvery-white underparts, marked by a diagonal sooty stripe from the snout along the dorsal fin, and another dark stripe across the eye.

Divers typically encounter ricciole as solitary individuals or in small to moderate-sized schools near reefs, deep offshore caves, drop-offs, rocky outcrops, and wrecks. While smaller fish can be found in shallower water, larger specimens generally prefer depths of 18–72 meters, though they've been recorded as deep as 360 meters. These opportunistic predators are constantly seeking out benthic and pelagic fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans, making observation of a ricciole in its natural environment often a display of an alert, swift hunter.