- Large scutes on caudal peduncle
- Naked area on breast separated from naked pectoral base by broad scaled area
- Head profile steep
- 20–24 gill rakers on 1st gill arch
- 18–21 dorsal-fin soft rays
Head and body silvery grey above, paler below; no opercular spot; fins usually uniform grey to black. Head and fins of mature males sometimes completely black; juveniles and young adults more silvery.
Up to 165 cm TL.
Indo-West and Central Pacific in tropical waters.
Associated with coral and rocky reefs and also over sand flats, from the surface to 190 m depth. Occasionally found in turbid waters. Juveniles may occur in estuaries.
Feeds primarily on fishes. Adults occur singularly or in schools; juveniles form small schools.
Caught mainly by hook-and-line and with gillnets.
Caranx bucculentus
Bluespotted trevally
Caranx bucculentus differs in having the curved part of lateral line short and more strongly arched (vs. longer, and weakly arched).
Caranx heberi
Blacktip trevally
Caranx heberi differs in having total gill rakers (including rudiments) on first gill arch 24–27 (vs. 20–24); in adults, head and body dark bronze to yellow-green above, silver bronze to yellow green below (vs. head and body silvery-grey to black, paler below) and rear portion of upper caudal-fin lobe dark or black (vs. upper caudal-fin lobe uniformly pigmented).
Caranx papuensis
Brassy trevally
Caranx papuensis differs in having head and body brassy to yellow green above and silver below with small black spots scattered on upper body (vs. head and body silvery-grey to black, paler below, no spots on body); white opercular spot (vs. no opercular spot); rear portion of upper caudal-fin lobe dark or black (vs. upper caudal-fin lobe uniformly pigmented) and trailing edge of lower caudal-fin lobe with white border (vs. no white border).