The Silver king.. the PONS

Asides from sharks, grouper, snapper, and barracuda one of the top predators that is  found in Florida’s waterways are the tarpon. Tarpon are a massive fish capable reaching sizes exceeding four hundred pounds, and lengths longer then six feet.  They are opportunistic feeders and will feed on almost anything they can fit their mouth around, but preferably feed on mullet, pinfish, and ladyfish.  Tarpon feed by inhaling there prey with their powerful jaws and then swallowing with a crazy amount of force.

Tarpon are considered by many people like myself to be the “silver king” because they are one of the hardest fighting fish you will find in the world. They often will jump over 20 times in a fight, make long runs, spit the hook, and wrap around docks to escape. This draw the attention of anglers from all over the world to come fish for this majestic beast. One thing about the tarpon that makes it a great fishery is that these fish are virtually not edible and offer no single option as far as table fare is concerned. It is also illegal to use tarpon for shark bait. One adaptation that tarpon do which make them an extremely successful species is that these guys can actually breath air when oxygen levels are low in the water, they can also survive in freshwater, or saltwater. 

Here are some websites that show you how the tarpon can be caught and the significance it brings towards the island

http://dreamcatchercharters.com/key-west-tarpon-fishing.htm

http://www.budnmarysblog.com/tarpon-fishing