Diamond Trevally, Alectis indica (Rüppell, 1830)

Scientific name: Alectis indica
Alternative name/s:
Diamond-fish, High-brow Pennantfish, Indian Threadfish, Mirror-fish and Plumed Trevally.
Diamond Trevally, Alectis indica Click to enlarge image
A Diamond Trevally caught on hook and line by S. Gaunt at a depth between 1m and 2m, Rainbow Beach, Queensland, May, 2004. Image: Sharyn Gaunt
© Sharyn Gaunt

Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Alectis
    Species
    indica
    Family
    Carangidae
    Class
    Actinopterygii
    Subphylum
    Vertebrata
    Phylum
    Chordata
    Kingdom
    Animalia
  • Size Range
    It grows to 1.5 m in length.

Introduction

Adult Diamond Trevally have very angular dorsal and ventral profiles. Using a little imagination, the fish could be said to be diamond-shaped.

Identification

The Diamond Trevally has a compressed body and a long straight snout. It has a large forked tail and long curved pectoral fins. The anterior section of the dorsal fin has long filaments in juveniles.

This species is silvery with a blue-green tinge above. Juveniles have five to seven broad, dark bands.

The Diamond Trevally looks similar to the Pennantfish. It can be distinguished by the more angular shape of the head and nape versus a more rounded head, respectively. The distance between the eye and upper jaw (suborbital depth) is contained 0.8 to 1 times in the upper jaw length of the Diamond Trevally compared with 1.7 to 3 times in the Pennantfish. There are also differences in the number of gill rakers on the lower limb of the first gill arch (21 to 26 versus 12 to 17).

Distribution

The Diamond Trevally occurs in tropical and warm temperate marine waters of the Indo-West Pacific.

In Australia it is known from south-western Western Australia, around the tropical north of the country and south to the central coast of New South Wales.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Source: 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. Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
  3. Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
  4. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
  5. Smith-Vaniz, W.F. in Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem. 1999. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 4. Bony fishes part 2 (Mugilidae to Carangidae). FAO. Rome Pp. iii-v, 2069-2790.