Black Trevally, Caranx lugubris Click to enlarge image
A Black Trevally, Caranx lugubris, at a depth of 5m, Marotiri Rocks, Austral Islands, southern French Polynesia. Image: Ian Skipworth
© Ian Skipworth

Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Caranx
    Species
    lugubris
    Family
    Carangidae
    Class
    Actinopterygii
    Subphylum
    Vertebrata
    Phylum
    Chordata
    Kingdom
    Animalia
  • Size Range
    The species grows to 80 cm in length.

Introduction

The Black Trevally is generally a solitary fish and can be found on outer reef slopes and deep drop-offs.



Identification

The Black Trevally is a compressed fish with a steep forehead, long curved pectoral fins and a forked tail. It is brownish or grey to black, with a black spot on the upper margin of the operculum. There are black scutes on the rear of the body.


Black Trevally, Caranx lugubris
A Black Trevally at a depth of 12 m, Bougainville Reef, Coral Sea, December 2000. Image: Schlögl, Erik
© Schlögl, Erik

Habitat

The Black Trevally is a pelagic species.

Distribution

It occurs in tropical marine waters worldwide.

In Australia it is known from north-western Western Australia and from the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.


This map shows species occurrence observations from data recorded in the Atlas of Living Australia.

References

  1. Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
  2. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
  3. Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.