PORT PHILLIP BAY


Skipjack Trevally 

Pseudocaranx wrighti (Whitley, 1931)

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Meristics.
Dorsal fin spines/rays: VIII; I, 22-26
Anal fin spines/rays: II; I, 20-22
Caudal fin rays: 17
Pectoral fin rays: 17-19
Ventral fin spines/rays: I, 5
Lateral line: 44-58 (scales) + 16-25 (scutes)
Gill rakers: 11-14 + 24-28

Interpreting fin count meristics.
Spines are in Roman numerals and soft rays are in Arabic numerals. Spines and rays that are continuous in one fin are separated by a comma. Fin sections are separated by semicolons.

Detailed descriptions of fin count and other meristics are in:
Gomon. M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds) (2008) Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp.

Order level detail.
A Large and highly diverse group of modern bony fishes many of which have a generalized perch like body form. Most have pelvic fins with one spine and 5 rays and the maxillary bone is excluded from the gape of the mouth. Interrelationships of the group are poorly understood and continue to be studied. They inhabit almost all aquatic habitats from high-altitude strams to the deep sea, although most are marine.

Family level detail.
Streamlined, active-swimming fishes, with fine smooth scales, a relatively short-based spinous first dorsal fin, a long-based soft-rayed second dorsal fin, a narrow tail base and a deeply forked tail; usually a detached pair of short spines before the anal fin. While adults usually inhabit coastal or near shore waters, juveniles are often far from land around floating debris or large planktonic invertebrates such as jellyfish. Many are highly valued gamefish and some are commercially important.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Chordata
Subphylum:
Craniata
Superclass:
Gnathostomata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Perciformes
Family:
Carangidae
Genus:
Pseudocaranx
Species:
wrighti

General Description

Body deep, oval, compressed, tail base very slender; pectoral fins long, slender, scythe-like; rear of lateral line with enlarged bony scales; hind margin of upper jaw angled forwards. Steely blue, silvery below, with a distinct small black spot on the upper margin of the gill cover; juveniles with narrow grey bands on sides without mid-lateral yellow stripe. Long confused with Pseudocaranx goergianus. To 25 cm.

Biology

This species is taken in considerable numbers by prawn trawlers along the South Australian coast. Juveniles usually form large schools.

Habitat

Coastal waters and bays, often near rocky areas, to depth of 30 m.

Reefs

Open water

Distribution guide

Southern Australia.

Species Group

Fishes › Trevallies and allies

Depth

Shallow (1-30 m)

Water Column

On or near sea floor Midwater

Max Size

25 cm

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Native to Australia

Conservation Status

  • DSE Advisory List : Not listed
  • EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
  • IUCN Red List : Not listed

Author

article author Bray, D.J.

Di Bray is a Senior Collection Manager of ichthyology at Museum Victoria.

Author

article author Gomon, M.F.

Dr. Martin Gomon is a Senior Curator of ichthyology at Museum Victoria.

citation

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. & Gomon, M.F., 2011, Skipjack Trevally, Pseudocaranx wrighti, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 14 Nov 2024, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/6448

Text: creative commons cc by licence