Giant trevally

Caranx ignobilis · The giant trevally is a large marine fish of the jack family that lives in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific, from South Africa to Hawaii.

Also called Giant kingfish, Ulua, Barrier trevally, Lowly trevally.

Giant trevally
Photo: Dr. Dwayne Meadows, NOAA/NMFS/OPR, Public domain
Giant trevally
Photo: Docjtc, Public domain
Giant trevally
Photo: Peter Southwood, CC BY-SA 3.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCarangiformes
FamilyCarangidae
GenusCaranx
SpeciesCaranx ignobilis

Where it lives

Tropical reefs, lagoons and coasts from South Africa to Hawaii, Japan to Australia.

Fun facts

  • Giant trevallies can leap acrobatically out of the water to snatch fledgling sooty terns right out of the air.
  • Giant trevallies sometimes shadow Hawaiian monk seals and steal any prey the seal stirs up while foraging.
  • Adult giant trevallies have been seen ramming sharks repeatedly with their heads, sometimes killing sharks bigger than themselves, yet they don't eat them.
  • Once mature, male giant trevallies can turn jet-black, while females stay a much lighter silvery-grey.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).