 | The Giant Trevally (Caranx ignobilis) is a powerful oceanic predator fish also known as the GT for short. It's also called the Giant Kingfish, the Lowly Trevally, or the Barrier Trevally. Like the Mustang GT muscle car, this GT has its own muscle power: strong and thick midsection, and is distinguished by its steep and blunt head shape, and 26 to 38 scutes (sharp, bony plates) along its lateral line. Its color ranges from silver to black, and on those with darker color, it can have remarkable silvery-white patterns on its upper body.
The GT reaches its full size at 3-4 years. Typical size 60 cm long (1.969 feet, or .6 meters) but have been recorded with a length of 170 cm long (5.577 feet, or 1.7 meters) and a weight of 80 kg (176.4 pounds).
The distribution of the Giant Trevally occurs in the tropical or coastal areas of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The range extends from the eastern coast of Africa, along the coasts of India and Pakistan, across the coast of northern Australia, to as far east as Hawaii. Its habitat is in the shallow coral reefs and lagoons and channels in these tropical areas.
With its canines in its upper jaw, and conical teeth in its lower jaw, the GT has been known to consume small turtles and dolphins. However, its main diet consists of most baitfish found in tropical waters, and it supplements its diet with lobsters, squid, and octopus. The Trevally's method of operation is to use its muscled body to body slam its prey into stunned submission and then quickly eat before another competitor can take away the spoils. The GT also follows Monk Seals and reef sharks to their feeding grounds, and waits for when the shark or seal's attention is diverted, and then grabs what it can of the other predator's dinner.
The GT is prey to only two other predators: sharks, and man. Its biggest threat is population decline, which is largely suspected as due to erosion of coral reefs, which are the GT's main habitat. While it remains a popular game fish in the Indo-Pacific region, its numbers have been decreasing around Hawaii. So far, fishing for the Giant Trevally has not been banned but anglers are being encouraged to follow a catch and release method instead. Recommendations are to have the fish out of water for no more than 30 seconds, to use a hose to pump saltwater through the gills, to use barbless hooks, to not hold the fish by just the mouth, gills, or tail, to hold it securely and not allow it to drop or hit against anything, and to gently swim it a bit before releasing it. |
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