Black Trevally

Interesting Info

• The Black Trevally (Caranx lugubris) is a sleek, dark-bodied hunter that glides through deep reef slopes and ocean drop-offs — a master of camouflage and surprise.
• Adults are charcoal grey to metallic black with paler undersides and a faint blue shimmer that helps them blend perfectly into clear blue water.
• Their body is deep and powerful with long, curved pectoral fins and a strongly forked tail — built for bursts of speed when chasing prey.
• This species occurs right across tropical and subtropical oceans — from the Atlantic and Indian Oceans through to the Pacific, including Hawaii, Japan, and the Red Sea.
• In Australia, they’re found mainly off north-western Western Australia, the Coral Sea, and around offshore islands such as Christmas, Cocos (Keeling), and Lord Howe.
• Juveniles are rarely seen — they likely drift for months in open ocean currents before settling on deep reefs as they mature.
• Black Trevallies feed on small fish, squid, and crustaceans, darting from the shadows with lightning-fast strikes.
• Adults are usually solitary but sometimes form small groups or mix with other trevally species when hunting along reef slopes or pinnacles.
• Males mature at around 38 cm (15 in) and females slightly smaller. Spawning takes place offshore, with eggs and larvae drifting freely in the open sea.
• Divers often describe them as “ghostly” — dark shapes appearing suddenly out of the blue, circling once, then disappearing back into deeper water.
• They’re sometimes mistaken for Giant Trevally, but are slimmer with a smaller head and darker overall colour.
• Black Trevallies can live for more than 15 years, and possibly up to 20 years in undisturbed reef environments — a long life for such an active ocean predator.