Indian scad

Decapterus russelli

Fish
IUCN: Least concern

Usual depth45–84 m
Water temperature17–29 °C
Best monthsApril, May, and June
How commonCommon

Photo credit: (c) Georgina Jones, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Georgina Jones · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist

About this species

Decapterus russelli, also known as the Indian scad, northern mackerel scad, round scad, Russell's mackerel scad, slender scad, or three lined grunter, is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Carangidae. It naturally occurs in the Indian and the western Pacific Oceans and has colonised the eastern Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. It is an important species in coastal fisheries throughout its range.

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

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 1,316 records
February: 618 records
March: 1,273 records
April: 3,503 records
May: 3,700 records
June: 3,494 records
July: 3,319 records
August: 2,256 records
September: 2,035 records
October: 2,403 records
November: 2,193 records
December: 2,509 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 45–84 m · Deepest record: 559 m

0–10 m: 9 records
10–20 m: 57 records
20–30 m: 86 records
30–40 m: 706 records
40–50 m: 3,382 records
50–60 m: 7,099 records
60–70 m: 7,416 records
70–80 m: 5,039 records
80–90 m: 2,822 records
90–100 m: 769 records
100–110 m: 330 records
110+ m: 423 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 17–29 °C

16–18 °C: 1 records
18–20 °C: 0 records
20–22 °C: 0 records
22–24 °C: 3 records
24–26 °C: 6 records
26–28 °C: 924 records
28–30 °C: 22 records

Photos

Names and classification

English: Indian scad, northern mackerel scad

Names in 3 more languages

Spanish: Macarela Indica
French: Comète indienne, Petit maquereau rapide
Japanese: Indomaruaji, インドマルアジ

Other scientific names: Caranx ecclipsifer, Caranx kiliche, Caranx kurra, Caranx russelli, Decapterus dayi, Decapterus kiliche, Decapterus lajang, Decapterus ruselli, Decapterus russellii

Similar species

Mackerel scad
Decapterus macarellus
Shortfin scad
Decapterus macrosoma
Japanese scad
Decapterus maruadsi
Redtail scad
Decapterus kurroides
Giant trevally
Caranx ignobilis
Bluefin trevally
Caranx melampygus

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).
45,195 open-data records from 1898 to 2023.
Species data updated October 26, 2026.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist