Orangespotted Trevally

Interesting Info

• The Orange-spotted Trevally (Carangoides bajad) shines like a living constellation — a silver-brass fish covered in bright orange-yellow spots that sparkle as it darts through the reef.
• Its body is deep and streamlined, designed for quick bursts of speed as it hunts small fish and crustaceans along reef slopes and sandy channels.
• They live across the tropical Indo–Pacific — from the Red Sea and East Africa to India, Southeast Asia, Japan, and northern Australia.
• In Australia, the species occurs the tropical north of Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef.
• Juveniles often inhabit shallow lagoons, estuaries, and sandy bays where they shelter among coral rubble or under drifting debris. As they grow, they move offshore to deeper reef slopes and coastal drop-offs.
• They are often seen singly or in small groups, but sometimes form loose schools during feeding or spawning seasons.
• They’re opportunistic feeders — dining on small fish, shrimp, and crabs — and are known to wait near coral heads or rocks to ambush passing prey.
• Orange-spotted Trevallies reach sexual maturity early, typically around 1–3 years of age. Spawning occurs offshore, often during the warmer months, with peak activity recorded between June and September in the Persian Gulf.
• Females release buoyant eggs that drift with the current before hatching into larvae that spend their early lives among plankton in open water.
• Although their exact lifespan isn’t well documented, they are thought to live 8–10 years or more — a respectable age for a mid-sized reef predator.
• Their coloration can shift subtly depending on depth and light — sometimes appearing silvery-white, other times golden-bronze — helping them blend with reef light and confuse predators or prey.
• In turbid or muddy bays, some individuals appear more golden overall and may form schools, a striking contrast to the solitary silvery forms seen in clear-water reefs.