Found near prominent current-swept lagoon or seaward reefs (Ref. 9710); also in bays, estuaries and turbid inner lagoons (Ref. 9768). Diurnal and solitary, although the young form schools. Feeds mainly on fishes but also takes squid. Sold fresh, frozen or dried salted. Reports of ciguatera poisoning need confirmation.

Djibouti, East Africa, Eritrea, Gazi Bay, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Mtwapa, Red Sea, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa (country), Tanzania, Ungama Bay

Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea (Ref. 12541) south to the southeastern coast of South Africa and east to New Caledonia and Vanuatu. Recently reported from Tonga (Ref. 53797). Due to a widespread confusion with Sphyraena putnamae and Sphyraena qenie, the exact range is uncertain.

Red Sea, Indo-West Pacific: Gulf of Aden, East Africa, KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa), Madagascar and Mauritius (Mascarenes) east to Fiji and Tonga, north to Taiwan, south to Western Australia, New South Wales (Australia) and New Caledonia.

Dorsal spines (total): 6; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Analspines: 2; Analsoft rays: 7 - 9

Maximum size: 1500 mm TL

150 cm TL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 2871)); max. published weight: 11.5 kg (Ref. 40637)

Body with dark bars crossing lateral line, each bar oblique in upper half, but nearly vertical in lower half; caudal fin largely yellowish.

Inhabits bays, estuaries and turbid inner lagoons (Ref. 9768). Diurnal and solitary, although the young forms schools. Feeds mainly on fishes, also squid. Also caught with set nets (Ref. 9768). Sold fresh, frozen or dried salted in markets. Claims of ciguatera poisoning by eating this fish need confirmation.

reef-associated; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); brackish; marine; depth range 20 - 200 m (Ref. 28016)

Depth range based on 84 specimens in 1 taxon.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 22 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 0.5 - 140
  Temperature range (°C): 20.420 - 28.199
  Nitrate (umol/L): 0.154 - 10.882
  Salinity (PPS): 32.916 - 35.468
  Oxygen (ml/l): 2.877 - 4.932
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.081 - 1.043
  Silicate (umol/l): 0.567 - 17.115

Graphical representation

Depth range (m): 0.5 - 140

Temperature range (°C): 20.420 - 28.199

Nitrate (umol/L): 0.154 - 10.882

Salinity (PPS): 32.916 - 35.468

Oxygen (ml/l): 2.877 - 4.932

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.081 - 1.043

Silicate (umol/l): 0.567 - 17.115
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

Depth: 20 - 200m.
From 20 to 200 meters.

Habitat: reef-associated. Found near prominent current-swept lagoon or seaward reefs (Ref. 9710); also in bays, estuaries and turbid inner lagoons (Ref. 9768). Diurnal and solitary, although the young form schools. Feeds mainly on fishes but also takes squid. Sold fresh, frozen or dried salted. Reports of ciguatera poisoning need confirmation.

Oceanodromous. Migrating within oceans typically between spawning and different feeding areas, as tunas do. Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.

Juveniles occur in mangroves and brackishwaters as nursery grounds; adults inhabit reefs and shallow waters (Ref. 43081).

Pseudopecoeloides Infestation. Parasitic infestations (protozoa, worms, etc.)

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.


There are 5 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.


Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 7
Specimens with Barcodes: 9
Species With Barcodes: 1

Genomic DNA is available from 1 specimen with morphological vouchers housed at Ocean Genome Legacy

Not Evaluated

fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes