Meristic formula D1, VIII; D2, I + 31-32; A, II + I + 24-26; P, 20-22; V, I + 5; LL, 77-102  photo: David Darom

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body elongated and only slightly compressed. Two dorsal fins, the first triangular and short based, second much longer. Anal fin with two separate spines. Both dorsal and anal fins with a single separate finlet behind them. Caudal fin forked. Acute pectoral fin, its origin slightly in front of pelvic fin origin. Terminal mouth. Upper jaw reaches back almost to the vertical of eye. Eye covered with transparent eyelid, covering most of the eye except for the center of the pupil. Anterior part of lateral line with 44-52 small scales, posterior part with 34-36 scutes. The margin of the shoulder girdle (behind the gill filaments) with two distinct papillae. color : dorsal surface bluish-green to metallic grey with silvery-white belly. common size : 10-25 cm (max. 40 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Trachurus spp. – Distinctive scutes on the entire lateral line; no papillae on the shoulder girdle. Caranx spp. and Alepes djedaba – no papillae on the shoulder girdle. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Schooling species. Feeds on small invertebrates. In its native Indo-Pacific it reaches sexual maturity at 12 cm at the age of one year. habitat : coastal water, no deeper than 100 m.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Israel, 2006 [2005]. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : Wide Indo-west Pacific distribution from the Red Sea, Indian Ocean to Japan and Australia. Mediterranean : Israel (probably has wider distribution, but overlooked due to external similarity to indigenous species) (Golani, 2006). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Very common along the Israeli-Lebanese coast. MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via the Suez Canal. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS An important target species in fishery throughout its distribution including in the Mediterranean (Israel and Lebanon), caught by purse seine and to a lesser extent by trammel nets and trawl.

KEY REFERENCES Bertin L. and Dollfus R.P., 1948. Révision des espèces du genre Decapterus (Téleostéen Scomeriformes). Mémoires du Muséum  national d' Histoire naturell Paris, 26(1): 1-29. Golani D., 2006. The Indian scad (Decapterus russelli), (Osteichthyes: Carangidae), a new Indo-Pacific fish invader of the eastern Mediterranean. Scientia Marina, 70: 603-605. Norman J.R., 1935. The carangid fishes of the genus Decapterus Bleeker. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, (10)16: 252-264.   Smith-Vaniz W.F., 1984. Carangidae. In: FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Indian Ocean (Fishery Area 51) Fischer W. and Bianchi G. (eds). FAO United Nations, Rome. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

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