Bumpnose Trevally

Interesting Info

• The Bumpnose Trevally gets its name from the distinctive bump or rounded forehead seen on adult fish.
• It is a smaller trevally species, reaching about 50 cm (20 in) and weighing up to 2 kg (4.4 lb), though most are under 40 cm (16 in).
• In Australia it is found across tropical waters—from north-western Western Australia, through the Northern Territory, to Queensland and down into northern New South Wales.
• Globally, it ranges throughout the Indo–West Pacific, from East Africa and the Red Sea across India, Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea, and into the central Pacific islands.
• Its body is silvery-grey with a bluish-green back, and juveniles often show faint vertical bars that fade as they mature.
• Adults develop the characteristic “bump” on the head, making them easier to tell apart from other small trevallies.
• Bumpnose Trevally live in schools, often gathering over sandy bays, estuaries, and coastal reefs.
• They feed on small fishes, crustaceans, and molluscs, usually picking food from the seabed or darting after prey in midwater.
• Spawning happens offshore, with eggs and larvae drifting in the open ocean before settling into shallow nursery areas.
• Their lifespan is thought to be around 5–7 years, though detailed studies are limited.
• Larger predators like groupers, mackerel, and sharks rely on them as prey.
• Divers and snorkellers may see schools cruising sandy bottoms or near reefs, their silvery bodies flashing in the light.