Whitefin trevally

Whitefin trevally
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Carangiformes
Family: Carangidae
Genus: Carangoides
Species:
C. equula
Binomial name
Carangoides equula
(Temminck & Schlegel, 1844)
Known range of the whitefin trevally
Synonyms[2]
  • Caranx equula
    Temminck & Schlegel, 1844
  • Kaiwarinus equula
    (Temminck & Schlegel, 1844)
  • Caranx dasson
    Jordan & Snyder, 1907
  • Carangoides acutus
    Kotthaus, 1974

The whitefin trevally (Carangoides equula), also known as the horse trevally, is a species of deep water offshore fish in the jack family Carangidae. The species inhabits the tropical to temperate waters of the Indo-Pacific and central Pacific, ranging from South Africa in the west to Hawaii in the east. The whitefin trevally is a moderate-sized fish, growing to 37 cm, and is distinguished by a number of morphological traits, including fin size, gill raker count, and colour. It inhabits the continental shelf and slope at depths to 200 m over sand and mud substrates, where it preys on fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods. Studies in Japan indicate a length at sexual maturity of 17.4 cm on average, with spawning occurring between May and October, with each individual spawning multiple times. Whitefin trevallies are of high importance to fisheries in Japan, where they are taken by trawlers, although the catch numbers have halved since the 1980s. It is of minor importance elsewhere throughout its range, but is considered a good table fish.

  1. ^ Smith-Vaniz, W.F. & Williams, I. (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment]. "Carangoides equula". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T20429448A115372690. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T20429448A46664059.en.
  2. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Carangoides equula". FishBase. August 2019 version.