Orange-spotted trevally

{{Short description|Species of fish}} {{Speciesbox | image = C. bajad.jpg | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name = iucn>{{cite iucn | author1 = Smith-Vaniz, W.F. | author2 = Williams, I. | name-list-style = amp | year = 2016 | title = ''Carangoides bajad'' |errata=2017 | volume = 2016 | article-number = e.T46080857A115391273 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T46080857A46664509.en | access-date = 19 February 2022}}</ref> | taxon = Carangoides bajad | authority = ([[Peter Forsskål|Forsskål]], 1775) | range_map = Carangoides bajad distribution.png | range_map_caption = Approximate range of the orangespotted trevally | synonyms = *''Scomber ferdau bajad'' Forsskål, 1775 *''Caranx bajad'' (Forsskål, 1775) *''Caranx immaculatus'' Ehrenberg, 1833 *''Caranx auroguttatus'' Cuvier, 1833 *''Carangoides auroguttatus'' (Cuvier, 1833) *''Caranx fulvoguttatus var. flava'' Klunzinger, 1871 }}

The '''orange-spotted trevally''', ''Carangoides bajad'' (also known as the '''gold-spotted trevally''') is a [[species]] of [[inshore]] [[marine (ocean)|marine]] [[fish]] in the jack [[Family (taxonomy)|family]], [[Carangidae]]. The species is fairly common in [[tropical]] to subtropical waters of the [[Indo-Pacific]], ranging from [[Madagascar]] in the west to [[Japan]] in the east, typically inhabiting inshore [[reef]]s. The species has characteristic orange-yellow spots on its sides, although counts of fin rays and scutes are needed to distinguish it from related species with similar colouring. Orange-spotted trevallies are powerful [[predator]]s, taking a variety of small fish, [[nekton]], and [[crustacean]]s, and reach sexual maturity around 25 cm long. It is a moderately large fish, reaching a maximum known length of 55 cm. The species is occasionally taken by [[fishermen]] throughout its range, and is generally considered to be bycatch. The exception to this is in the southern [[Persian Gulf]], where it makes up a large proportion of the [[fishery]].

==Taxonomy and naming== The orange-spotted trevally is classified within the genus ''[[Carangoides]]'', a group of fish commonly called jacks and trevallies. ''Carangoides'' falls into the jack and horse mackerel family [[Carangidae]], the Carangidae are part of the [[Order (biology)|order]] [[Carangiformes]].<ref name = Nelson5>{{cite book |title=Fishes of the World |edition=5th |author1=J. S. Nelson |author2=T. C. Grande |author3=M. V. H. Wilson |year=2016 |pages=380–387 |publisher=Wiley |isbn= 978-1-118-34233-6 |url=https://sites.google.com/site/fotw5th/ }}</ref>

The species was first [[scientific classification|scientifically described]] by the [[Sweden|Swedish]] [[naturalist]] [[Peter Forsskål]] in 1775 based on a specimen taken from the [[Red Sea]] which he designated to be the [[holotype]].<ref name = "London">{{cite book | last = Ludwig | first = Albert Carl |author2=Gotthilf Günther | title = Catalogue of the Fishes in the British Museum | publisher = British Museum (Natural History). Dept. of Zoology | year = 1860 | page = 238 }}</ref> The [[specific name (zoology)|specific epithet]] is an Arabic name of the fish (although it is now usually applied to a catfish, ''[[Bagrus bajad]]'', which Forsskål also named), with the letter "j" transcribing a [[Palatal approximant|/j/]] sound; Forsskål used this technique to name a number of Red Sea fish species.<ref>{{cite web|author=Baheyeldin, Khalid|title=Forsskål's use of Arabic names for fish species |work=The Baheyeldin dynasty |date=October 17, 2004 |url=https://baheyeldin.com/linguistics/forsskaal-arabic-species-names-fish-taxonomy.html}}</ref> Forsskål at first gave the new taxon [[subspecies]] status as ''Scomber ferdau bajad'', relating it to the [[Scomber|mackerel]]s, and especially ''Scomber ferdau'', which would later also be transferred to ''Carangoides''. The taxon was later given a species rank, becoming ''Scomber bajad'', then ''Caranx bajad'', before being transferred to its current position as ''Carangoides bajad''.<ref name = "fishbase">{{FishBase | genus = Carangoides | species = bajad | year = 2008 | month = January}}</ref>

The species was also independently renamed three times after Forsskål's description, the first coming from [[Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg]], who named the species ''Caranx immaculatus'', although he did not accurately publish the name, leading [[Georges Cuvier]] to rename the fish as ''Caranx auroguttatus'' in 1833, which was later transferred to ''Carangoides''. In 1871, [[Carl Benjamin Klunzinger]] once again proposed a new subspecies (or variety) name for the fish, ''Caranx fulvoguttatus'' var. ''flava''.<ref name = "fishbase"/> All names except ''Carangoides bajad'' are considered to be [[junior synonym]]s under the [[International Code of Zoological Nomenclature|ICZN]] rules, and are rendered invalid and not used.

==Description== [[File:Carangoides bajad.jpg|200px|thumb|left|An orange-yellow orange-spotted trevally in [[Egypt]]]] The orange-spotted trevally has the typical body profile of its genus, having a moderately deep, compressed [[rectangle|oblong]] shape, with the [[anatomical terms of location#Dorsal and ventral|dorsal]] profile more [[wikt:convex|convex]] than the ventral profile. It is a moderately large fish, with adults typically reaching a size of 45–60 cm.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Lin|first=Yu‐Jia|last2=Rabaoui|first2=Lotfi|last3=Maneja|first3=Rommel H.|last4=Qurban|first4=Mohammad A.|last5=Abdulkader|first5=Khaled|last6=Al‐Nazry|first6=Hussain|last7=Roa‐Ureta|first7=Ruben H.|date=2019|title=Life history traits and temporal trends of abundance of the orange‐spotted trevally ( Carangoides bajad ) from Saudi waters of the Gulf|journal=Journal of Fish Biology|language=en|volume=95|issue=5|pages=1184–1194|doi=10.1111/jfb.14116|pmid=31389013|issn=0022-1112}}</ref> The largest fish recorded was 72 cm, but are most common at sizes below 40 cm.<ref name = "Oman">{{cite book | last = Randall | first = John E. | title = Coastal Fishes of Oman | year = 1995 | location = Honolulu | page = 183 | isbn = 0-8248-1808-3 | publisher = University of Hawaiʻi Press }}</ref><ref name=":0" /> The dorsal profile of the head is quite straight from the snout to the [[nape]], with an eye diameter smaller than the snout length. Both [[jaw]]s contain narrow bands of [[Ichthyology terms#V|villiform]] teeth, with these bands becoming wider [[Anatomical terms of location#Anterior and posterior|anteriorly]]. The [[dorsal fin]] is in two parts, the first containing eight [[Fish anatomy#Spines and rays|spines]] and the second of one spine followed by 24 to 26 [[Fish anatomy#Spines and rays|soft rays]].<ref name = "FAO">{{cite book |editor-last=Carpenter |editor-first=Kent E. |editor2=Volker H. Niem | title = FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 4: Bony fishes part 2 (Mugilidae to Carangidae) | year = 1999 | location = Rome |page= 2694 | url = ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/009/x2400e/x2400e52.pdf | isbn = 92-5-104587-9 | publisher = Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations}}</ref> The [[anal fin]] is similar to the second dorsal fin, although slightly shorter, and consists of two anteriorly detached spines followed by one spine and 21 to 24 soft rays. Another of the major diagnostic features for the species is the length of the anal fin lobe in comparison to the head length, with ''C. bajad'' having a head length longer than the anal fin lobe.<ref name = "FAO"/> The [[lateral line]] has a slight, broad anterior curve, with this curved section being longer than the posterior straight section. The straight section of the lateral line has 14 to 26 [[scale (zoology)|scales]] followed by 20 to 30 [[scute]]s.<ref name = "Lin1999">{{cite journal | last = Lin | first = Pai-Lei |author2=Shao, Kwang-Tsao | title = A Review of the Carangid Fishes (Family Carangidae) From Taiwan with Descriptions of Four New Records | journal = Zoological Studies | volume = 38 | issue = 1 | pages = 33–68 | date = May 15, 1999 | url = http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=10055944 }}</ref> The chest of the orange-spotted trevally is completely scaled, occasionally having a narrow naked region on the underside near the [[ventral fin]]s. It has 24 [[vertebrae]] and 25 to 43 [[gill raker]]s.<ref name = "FAO"/>

The orange-spotted trevally has a silvery grey- to brassy-coloured body, becoming paler to a silvery white ventrally. Many conspicuous orange to yellow spots occur on the sides of the fish, giving the species its name, and make for an easy way to identify the fish in the field.<ref name = "FAO"/> An entirely yellow variant has been reported,<ref name = "book2">{{cite book | last = Myers | first = R.F. |author2=Lieske, E. | title = Coral Reef Guide Red Sea | year = 2004 | isbn = 978-0-00-715986-4 | publisher = Collins | location = London }}</ref> although the fish is thought to be able to rapidly change between its normal colour configuration and this colour.<ref name = "FAO"/> The colour of the fins ranges from [[hyaline]] to lemon yellow, and no dark [[operculum (fish)|opercular]] spot is present.<ref name = "London"/>

==Distribution and habitat== [[File:Grupo de jureles lentejuela (Carangoides bajad), parque nacional Ras Muhammad, Egipto, 2022-03-28, DD 20.jpg|thumb|240px|right|Group of orange-spotted trevallies in the red Sea, Egypt]] The orange-spotted trevally inhabits the [[tropical]] to subtropical waters of the [[Indian Ocean|Indian]] and western [[Pacific Ocean]]s. It is distributed from [[Madagascar]] and the [[Comoros Islands]] in the west,<ref name = "assess">{{cite journal | last = Grandcourt | first = E.M. |author2=T.Z. Al Abdessalaam |author3=F. Francis |author4=A. Al Shamsi | title = Population biology and assessment of representatives of the family Carangidae ''Carangoides bajad'' and ''Gnathanodon speciosus'' (Forsskal, 1775), in the Southern Arabian Gulf | journal = Fisheries Research | volume = 69 | issue = 3 | pages = 331–341 | year = 2004 | doi = 10.1016/j.fishres.2004.06.008 }}</ref> northwards to the [[Red Sea]], the [[Gulf of Aden]], and the [[Persian Gulf]], and probably east toward [[India]], although few fish have been recorded in this region.<ref name = "fishbase"/> It is commonly found from the [[Gulf of Thailand]] to [[Okinawa, Japan]] in the east, and southward to [[Indonesia]], the [[Philippines]], and [[New Britain]].<ref name = "FAO"/> In 2005, orange-spotted trevally reportedly had been caught in the [[Mediterranean Sea]], indicating they had become [[Lessepsian migration|Lessepsian migrant]]s, passing through the [[Suez Canal]] to extend their range.<ref>{{cite book | editor-last = Öztürk | editor-first = Bayrum | title = Marine Life of Turkey in the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas | year = 2005 | location = Istanbul | isbn = 975-8825-07-0 | publisher = Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TÜDAV)}}</ref> This claim has been disputed, though, with the source of the report coming under question due to the presence of other species unknown to the Mediterranean shown in the purported photograph.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Golani | first = Daniel | title = The Indian scad (''Decapterus russelli''), (Osteichthyes: Carangidae), a new Indo-Pacific fish invader of the eastern Mediterranean | journal = Scientia Marina | volume = 70 | issue = 4 | pages = 603–605 | url = http://www.icm.csic.es/scimar/index.php/secId/6/IdArt/3288/ | year = 2006 | issn = 0214-8358 | doi = 10.3989/scimar.2006.70n4603 | doi-access = free | archive-date = 2009-12-15 | access-date = 2008-08-03 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091215092600/http://www.icm.csic.es/scimar/index.php/secId/6/IdArt/3288/ | url-status = dead }}</ref>

The orange-spotted trevally is a [[coastal]] species, most common in [[inshore]] waters over rocky and [[coral reef]]s, where it is found both solitary and in schools at depths of 2 to 50 m. They are often observed patrolling the edges of seaward reefs, and have been known to mingle with ''[[Parupeneus cyclostomus]]''.<ref>{{cite book | last = Siliotti | first = A. | title = Fishes of the Red Sea | publisher = Geodia | year = 2002 | location = Verona | page = 287 | isbn = 88-87177-42-2 }}</ref>

==Biology and fisheries== The orange-spotted trevally is a strong-swimming [[predator]] that takes a variety of prey, including fish, [[crustaceans]], and [[nekton]].<ref>{{cite journal| last = Blaber| first = S.J.M. |author2=Milton, D.A. |author3=Rawlinson, N.J.F. |author4=Tiroba, G. |author5=Nichols, P.V.| title = Diets of lagoon fishes of the Solomon Islands: predators of tuna baitfish and trophic effects of baitfishing on the subsistence fishery| journal = Fisheries Research| volume = 8| issue = 3| pages = 263–286| doi=10.1016/0165-7836(90)90027-S | year = 1990}}</ref> They reach [[sexual maturity]] around 1–3 years of age when they are about 15–30 cm in length.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="assess" /> The main [[Spawn (biology)|spawning]] period in the Persian Gulf is between June and September.<ref name=":0" /> Whether further differences in the spawning period occurs throughout its range is currently unknown. This species also exhibits seasonal [[oscillation]] in growth rate, which was fastest during November–April and slowest during May–September.<ref name = "assess"/>

The orange-spotted trevally is occasionally taken throughout its range by hook and line, [[gill net]]s, and other artisanal gear, although in most areas it is bycatch and does not form a large part of these [[fisheries]].<ref name = "FAO"/> One fishery is highly dependent on the species in the southern Persian Gulf. There, the orange-spotted trevally is one of the most common fish found just above the sea floor, and is taken by wire traps and sold fresh at local markets. The combined catch of ''C. bajad'' and ''[[Gnathanodon speciosus]]'' totals around 1100 tonnes per year.<ref name="aed">{{cite book | last = Grandcourt | first = E. | author2 = T.Z. Al Abdessalaam | author3 = F. Francis | author4 = A.T. Al Shamsi | author5 = K. Al Ali | author6 = S. Al Ali | title = Biological reference points, resource status and management options for the key demersal species of Abu Dhabi Emirate | publisher = Environmental Research and Wildlife Development | year = 2004 | pages = 1–28 | url = http://www.ead.ae/TacSoft/FileManager/cations/reports/2004%20Stock%20Assessment%20Report.PDF }}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The development of the fishing fleet of the [[United Arab Emirates]] has caused a number of species to be [[overexploited]], but the orange-spotted trevally is still being taken at [[sustainable level]]s.<ref name = "aed"/>

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

==External links== *[http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=1923 Orangespotted trevally at Fishbase] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080907220055/http://www.eol.org/taxa/17051422 Encyclopedia Of Life Page] * {{SealifePhotos|218391}}

[[Category:Carangoides|orange-spotted trevally]] [[Category:Fish of the Red Sea]] [[Category:Marine fish of East Africa]] [[Category:Taxa named by Peter Forsskål]] [[Category:Fish described in 1775|orange-spotted trevally]]