Bony fish · Perciformes · Carangidae

Crevalle Jack

Caranx hippos

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

A large jack with a steep head and a deep profile, with a dark blotch on the gill cover and another at the base of the pectoral fin. It hunts in coastal waters and estuaries, often in groups that corner shoals of small fish against the surface or the shore.

Size

50 cm – 1.2 m

Lifespan

17 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

OceanCarnivore Colonial Fish Ocean

45countries 14parks 21dive sites4same family

Fun facts

The sharp bony scutes along the rear of the lateral line form a cutting keel that is best avoided when handling it.
It hunts in groups, driving shoals of sardines up against the surface, and the din of the attack can be heard tens of metres away.
The juveniles move into estuaries and river mouths of very low salinity, and even run up stretches of fresh water.
It hunts in groups and at the surface: schools corner forage fish against the shore and attack them in a noisy rush that can be seen and heard from land.
Its scutes — hard, keeled modified scales — run along the rear part of the lateral line and form a keel that gives it stability at high speed.
It produces sounds, with audible grunts when it is taken out of the water.
Juveniles tolerate very low salinities and use estuaries as nurseries, which makes the species dependent on those habitats.
It is a game fish highly prized for its strength, although its flesh is considered mediocre and in some areas it is associated with ciguatera.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (fish)
Habitat & environment: Coastal waters, estuaries and bays of the tropical and subtropical Atlantic

Sources consulted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crevalle_jack