Giant Trevally

Interesting Info

• The Giant Trevally (Caranx ignobilis) is the true heavyweight of the jack family — a silvery-grey powerhouse built for speed, strength, and surprise attacks.
• Adults can reach over 170 cm (5.6 ft) long and weigh more than 80 kg (176 lb), though most caught by anglers are between 20–50 kg (44–110 lb).
• In Australia it’s found from Shark Bay and the Pilbara region of Western Australia, across the Northern Territory, to Queensland and northern New South Wales, including the Coral Sea and Lord Howe Island.
• Globally it ranges widely through the Indo–Pacific — from South Africa and the Red Sea across to Japan, Hawaii, and the islands of the central Pacific.
• Juveniles are silvery with vertical bands and often inhabit estuaries and sheltered bays, while adults turn darker, sometimes charcoal grey or even black when mature.
• Giant Trevally are apex reef predators — they hunt mullet, flying fish, squid, and even small seabirds, attacking with incredible bursts of speed.
• They’re famous for cooperative hunting — sometimes teaming up with reef sharks to ambush prey!
• These trevallies can live for more than 20 years and are slow to mature, reaching breeding age around 5–6 years old at about 60 cm (2 ft) long.
• Spawning takes place offshore, often near reef drop-offs or channels, with eggs and larvae drifting in open water.
• Juveniles grow quickly in coastal nurseries like lagoons, mangrove creeks, and seagrass beds before moving offshore as adults.
• The species is highly intelligent — divers often report that large individuals seem to watch and assess their movements before approaching.
• Its strong body and deeply forked tail make it one of the fastest accelerating reef fish in the ocean.
• The largest recorded Giant Trevally was caught in Japan and measured 170 cm (5.6 ft) and 80.5 kg (177 lb)!