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Bluefin trevally

Caranx melampygus

  • Fish
  • IUCN: Least concern
  • Usual depth4–23 m
  • Water temperature21–29 °C
  • Best monthsMarch, April, and September
  • How commonCommon
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Photo credit: (c) Rickard Zerpe, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist

About this species

The bluefin trevally, also known as the bluefin jack, bluefin kingfish, bluefinned crevalle, blue ulua, omilu, and spotted trevally, is a species of large, widely distributed marine fish classified in the jack family, Carangidae. The bluefin trevally is distributed throughout the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, ranging from Eastern Africa in the west to Central America in the east, including Japan in the north and Australia in the south. The species grows to a maximum known length of 117 centimetres (46 in) and a weight of 43.5 kilograms (96 lb), however is rare above 80 centimetres (31 in). Bluefin trevally are easily recognised by their electric blue fins, tapered snout and numerous blue and black spots on their sides. Juveniles lack these obvious colours, and must be identified by more detailed anatomical features such as fin ray and scute counts. The bluefin trevally inhabits both inshore environments such as bays, lagoons and shallow reefs, as well as deeper offshore reefs, atolls and bomboras. Juveniles prefer shallower, protected waters, even entering estuaries for short periods in some locations.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Bluefin trevally”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

  • January: 1,070 records
  • February: 1,162 records
  • March: 1,648 records
  • April: 1,626 records
  • May: 1,239 records
  • June: 1,027 records
  • July: 1,148 records
  • August: 1,303 records
  • September: 2,233 records
  • October: 1,254 records
  • November: 1,020 records
  • December: 696 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 4–23 m · Deepest record: 142 m

  • 0–10 m: 2,853 records
  • 10–20 m: 4,019 records
  • 20–30 m: 1,301 records
  • 30–40 m: 97 records
  • 40–50 m: 14 records
  • 50–60 m: 19 records
  • 60–70 m: 1 records
  • 70–80 m: 2 records
  • 80–90 m: 4 records
  • 90–100 m: 5 records
  • 100–110 m: 3 records
  • 110+ m: 3 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 21–29 °C

  • 20–22 °C: 1 records
  • 22–24 °C: 10 records
  • 24–26 °C: 189 records
  • 26–28 °C: 213 records
  • 28–30 °C: 270 records

Names and classification

English
Bluefin trevally, black ulua, Bluefin jack, Bluefin kingfish, Blue-finned Trevally, bluefin trevally, Blue-fin Trevally, Bluefin Trevally, Spotted Trevally
Names in 7 more languages
German
Blauflossen-Makrele
Spanish
jurel aleta azul, Jurel de Aleta Azul
Filipino
Maliputo, Manitis, Talakitok
French
Carangue Aîle Bleue, Carangue bleue, Carangue bleue, Carangue aîle bleue, Carangue bleue, Carangue étoilée
Japanese
Kasumiaji, カスミアジ
Thai
ปลากะมงครีบฟ้า
Simplified Chinese
藍鰭鰺, 黑尻鰺

Other scientific names: Carangichthys melampygus, Carangus melampygus, Caranx bixanthopterus, Caranx medusicola, Caranx melampyges, Caranx stellatus, Caranx valenciennei, Carynx melampygus, Xurel malampygus

Similar species

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

  • Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
  • Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
  • Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
  • 11,986 open-data records from 1889 to 2025.
  • Species data updated October 26, 2026.

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