Animal Species:Black Trevally, Caranx lugubris (Poey, 1860)

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

A Black Trevally at Bougainville Reef

A Black Trevally at Bougainville Reef
Erik Schlögl © Erik Schlögl

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.

Size range

The species grows to 80 cm in length.

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.

Caranx lugubris

Distribution by collection data

Ozcam map of Black Trevally specimens in the Australian Museums.

What does this mean?

Habitat

The Black Trevally is a pelagic species.

Classification

Species:
lugubris
Genus:
Caranx
Family:
Carangidae
Class:
Actinopterygii
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

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.


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Tags fish, ichthyology, Black Trevally, Caranx lugubris, solitary, reef slopes, reef dropoffs, compressed body, steep forehead, forked tail, brown, grey, black, dots/spots, black scutes, 30 cm - 1 m, tropical water, marine, Great Barrier Reef, pelagic,