Relevant synonyms Atule djeddaba Caranx cala Caranx calla Caranx djeddaba Misidentification None Meristic formula D1, VIII; D2, I + 22-25; A, II + I - 18-20; P, 19-23; V, I + 5; LL, 77-88; GR, 38-47.  photo : David Darom

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body ellipsoid and compressed. First dorsal triangle. Second dorsal fin long and elevated anteriorly. Caudal fin deeply forked. Anal fin with two detached spines followed by a single spine attached by a membrane to soft rays, some of which is elevated anteriorly. Last dorsal and anal fin rays elongated. Lateral line has a series of scutes (enlarged and thickened scales) arched anteriorly and straightens under the first to third dorsal rays. Small comb-like teeth in a single continuous row. Well-developed eyelid covers the posterior portion of the eye.color : back grey with white belly. Caudal fin and the posterior part of lateral line yellow. A distinct black spot on the upper margin of operculum. size : common 10-20 cm (max.30 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Lichia amia, Nancrates ductor and Seriola dumerili: no scutes on lateral line. Trachurus spp.: enlarged scutes throughout the flank. Caranx spp. and Pseudocaranx dentex: scutes present only in posterior of flank. Teraponidae, Haemulidae, Sparidae, Siganidae and Serranidae: a single dorsal fin. Scombridae: presence of finlets. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Schooling fish, often occupies turbid waters. In the Mediterranean feeds mainly on fishes; elsewhere, reported to feed on planktonic crustaceans. habitat : inshore pelagic.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Palestine, 1927. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : Indo-Pacific. Red Sea, eastern Africa including Madagascar to Philippines, Sumatra and Taiwan. Mediterranean : recorded first in Palestine as Caranx calla (Steinitz, 1927) ; successively recorded in the Aegean Sea (Bini, 1960) and Egypt (El Sayed, 1994). More recently recorded along the coasts of eastern Libya. ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Very common species in the Eastern Levant. speculated reasons for success : unknown. MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via the Suez Canal. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS Large schools caught by beach seine, purse seine and trammel net.

KEY REFERENCES Steinitz W., 1927. Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Küstenfauna Palästinas. I. Pubblicazioni della Stazione Zoologica di Napoli, 8(3-4): 311-353. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: November 2013 ©ciesm 2002