Blackfin scad | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Carangiformes |
Family: | Carangidae |
Genus: | Alepes |
Species: | A. melanoptera
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Binomial name | |
Alepes melanoptera (Swainson, 1839)
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Range of the blackfin scad | |
Synonyms | |
The blackfin scad (Alepes melanoptera) (also known as the shortfinned trevally and Chinese trevally) is a species of tropical marine fish of the jack family Carangidae. The species inhabits inshore waters throughout the Indo-Pacific region, although is rare in the western Indian Ocean. It is not a large species, with the largest reported capture being 25 cm, and it is distinguished readily from similar species by the prominent black dorsal fin. It is a predator which feeds on planktonic crustaceans, but little else is known of its biology. The blackfin scad is a minor food fish throughout its range, and is highly valued in Cambodia and Thailand.