Atlantic Tarpon

Photo: Rachel Andres-Beck · CC BY-NC

Atlantic tarpon are drawn to the cave entrance at Caverna dos Peixes during summer months, their large silvery scales acting as mirrors in the ambient light filtering through the opening while they rest in loose groups of 5 to 15 individuals in the shaded overhang zone. Tarpons are a relic species with a lineage extending back over 100 million years, capable of breathing air through a modified swim bladder — a trait that makes them tolerant of the lower oxygen levels inside coastal caves. Their presence at this site during warmer months reflects Madeira's position as a seasonal extension of their subtropical Atlantic range, and encounters are brief but memorable given the fish's scale and prehistoric bearing.