• EnglishName: Giant trevally
  • Local Name : Muda handhi
  • Size : Common to 80 cm; max. 1.7 m
  • Family: Order : Specimen
  • Distinctive Characters: First dorsal fin with 8 spines, second dorsal fin with 1 spine and 18-21 rays. Anal fin with 2 detached spines, followed by 1 spine and 15-17 rays. Gill rakers on first gill arch including the rudiments, 20-24. Body depth 2.7-3.8 in fork length. Strong scutes, breast naked ventrally, typically with a small patch of prepelvic scales.
    Colour: Adults mainly silvery grey to black above, usually paler below. No dark spot at upper end of opercle. Fins usually uniformly pigmented grey to black.
  • Habitat and Biology: Abundant in all marine habitats to a depth of 80 m. Ubiquitous, but prefers hard bottoms. Forms loose schools. Feeds mainly on fish, but also on cuttle fish, squids and crustaceans.
  • Distribution: Widespread in Indo-West Pacific.
  • Remarks: Caranx ignobilis is the largest of the trevallies or jacks and although small specimens may be confused with other species (e.g. C. lugubris), large specimens are unmistakable.
Back to fishes
Biodiversity of Maldives
Biodiversity of Maldives