Pompanos (genus Trachinotus) are a genus of salt-water fishes that are found worldwide in warmer seas and brackish coastal regions. The Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) and the permit (Trachinotus falcatus) are the two main culinary species in North America; of these, the Florida pompano is by far the more common, as the permit is difficult to catch and is considered a sport fish.
The golden pompano, also called snubnose pompano, which ranges in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific, is commercially farmed in Asia. It is commonly consumed in China and Taiwan, where it is known as jīnchāng (金鯧).
When "pompano" is encountered in English-language recipes it should usually be assumed to be the Florida pompano.