Finny Scad

Interesting Info

• The Finny Scad is a powerful, fast-swimming scad also called the Torpedo Scad or Hardtail Scad.
• It grows up to 80 cm (31 in) long and can weigh as much as 4 kg (9 lb), though most are 40–45 cm (16–18 in).
• In Australia, it ranges from Perth in Western Australia, around the tropical north, and down the east coast as far as Botany Bay, New South Wales.
• Globally, it occurs right across the Indo–West Pacific—from East Africa and the Persian Gulf through South and Southeast Asia, to Japan and Samoa.
• Its body is long, torpedo-shaped, and metallic silver with a bluish back—perfect for speed in open water.
• The tail is strongly forked, giving explosive bursts of swimming power.
• It has bony scutes (hard, sharp scales) along the lateral line near the tail, earning it the nickname “Hardtail.”
• They gather in huge schools in coastal and offshore waters, sometimes forming dense silver shoals that stretch for hundreds of metres.
• Diet includes small fishes, squid, and crustaceans, all hunted down with speed and coordination.
• Juveniles may stay closer to reef flats and sheltered bays, while adults school offshore along the continental shelf.
• They are typically found from 20–100 m (65–330 ft) deep, though occasionally come closer to the surface when chasing prey.
• Spawning takes place offshore, with eggs drifting in the plankton before hatching into larvae.
• They grow quickly and mature young, usually by 1–2 years old, but live only around 5–6 years.
• Predators include tuna, billfish, and dolphins, which hunt their schooling shoals.
• Because of their speed and schooling habits, they are sometimes mistaken for small mackerels.
• The species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, making it one of the earliest named scads.