| Caranx | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Thehorse eye jack,Caranx latus | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Carangiformes |
| Suborder: | Carangoidei |
| Family: | Carangidae |
| Subfamily: | Caranginae |
| Genus: | Caranx Lacépède, 1801 |
| Type species | |
| Caranx carangua Lacépède, 1801 | |
| Species | |
See text for species | |
| Synonyms | |
Caranx is agenus oftropical to subtropicalmarinefishes in the jack familyCarangidae, commonly known as jacks, trevallies and kingfishes. They are moderate- to large-sized, deep-bodied fishes which are distinguished from other carangid genera by specificgill raker,fin ray anddentition characteristics. The genus is represented in thePacific,Indian andAtlantic Oceans, inhabiting both inshore andoffshore regions, ranging fromestuaries andbays to deepreefs and offshore islands. All species are powerful predators, taking a variety of fish,crustaceans andcephalopods, while they in turn are prey to largerpelagic fishes andsharks. A number of fish in the genus have a reputation as powerfulgamefish and are highly sought by anglers. They often make up high amounts of the catch in variousfisheries, but are generally considered poor to fairtable fishes.
The genusCaranx is one of 30 currently recognised genera of fish in the jack and horse mackerelfamily Carangidae, this family are part of theorderCarangiformes.[2] The species has long been placed in thesubfamily Caranginae (or tribe Carangini), with modern molecular and genetic studies indicating this subdivision is acceptable, andCaranx is well defined as a genus.[3][4]Phylogenetically, themonotypic genus ofGnathanodon is most closely related toCaranx; and indeed its sole member was once classified underCaranx.[5]
Caranx was created by the FrenchnaturalistBernard Germain de Lacépède in 1801 to accommodate a new species he had described,Caranx carangua (thecrevalle jack), which was later found to be ajunior synonym ofScomber hippos, which in turn was transferred toCaranx.[6] The early days of carangidtaxonomy had over 100 'species' designated as members of the genus, most of which were synonyms, and a number of genera were created which were later synonymised withCaranx.Caranx took authority over these other genera names due to its prior description, rendering the rest as invalid junior synonyms. Today, after extensive reviews of the family, 18 species are considered valid by major taxonomic authoritiesFishbase andITIS, although many other species are unable to be properly validated due to poor descriptions. The fish in the genus arecommonly referred to as jacks, trevallies or kingfishes. Like the genusCarangoides, the wordCaranx is derived from theFrenchcarangue, used for some fishes of theCaribbean.[7]
The 18 currently recognized extant species in this genus are:[8]
| Image | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Caranx bucculentusAlleyne &W. J. Macleay, 1877 | bluespotted trevally | tropical east Indian and west Pacific Oceans, ranging from Taiwan in the north to Australia in the south. |
 | Caranx caballusGünther, 1868 | green jack | eastern Pacific Ocean along the American coastline from Santa Cruz Island off California in the north to Peru in the south, as well as a number of islands including the Galapagos and recently, Hawaii |
 | Caranx caninusGünther, 1867 | Pacific crevalle jack | tropical waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean from California in the north to Peru in the south |
 | Caranx crysos(Mitchill, 1815) | blue runner | the Atlantic Ocean, ranging from Brazil to Canada in the western Atlantic and from Angola to Great Britain including the Mediterranean in the east Atlantic |
 | Caranx fischeriSmith-Vaniz &K. E. Carpenter, 2007 | longfin crevalle jack | subtropical waters of the east Atlantic Ocean, ranging along the African coast from Mauritania south at least to Moçamedes in southern Angola, with the species historically present in the Mediterranean Sea. |
 | Caranx heberi(J. W. Bennett, 1830) | blacktip trevally | the tropical to subtropical Indian and West Pacific Oceans, ranging from South Africa in the west to Fiji, Japan and northern Australia in the east. |
 | Caranx hippos(Linnaeus, 1766) | crevalle jack | distributed across the tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean, ranging from Nova Scotia, Canada to Uruguay in the west Atlantic and Portugal to Angola in the east Atlantic, including the Mediterranean Sea. |
 | Caranx ignobilis(Forsskål, 1775) | giant trevally | the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region, with a range stretching from South Africa in the west to Hawaii in the east, including Japan in the north and Australia in the south |
 | Caranx latusAgassiz, 1831 | horse-eye jack | the subtropical Atlantic ocean from Bermuda and the northern Gulf of Mexico and south to Rio de Janeiro. |
.jpg) | Caranx lugubrisPoey, 1860 | black jack | the tropical zones of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. |
.jpg) | Caranx melampygusG. Cuvier, 1833 | bluefin trevally | the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, ranging from Eastern Africa in the west to Central America in the east, including Japan in the north and Australia in the south |
 | Caranx papuensisAlleyne & W. J. Macleay, 1877 | brassy trevally | range extends from South Africa and Madagascar north along the East African coast |
 | Caranx rhonchusÉ. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1817 | false scad | the tropical and temperate waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean from Namibia in the south to Spain and throughout most of the Mediterranean in the north |
 | Caranx ruber(Bloch, 1793) | bar jack | western Atlantic Ocean from New Jersey and Bermuda in the north to Venezuela and possibly Brazil in the south, with the largest population in the Gulf of Mexico and West Indies. |
 | Caranx senegallusG. Cuvier, 1833 | Senegal jack | the tropical waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean, ranging along the west African coast from Angola in the south to Mauritania in the north |
 | Caranx sexfasciatusQuoy &Gaimard, 1825 | bigeye trevally | the Indian and Pacific Oceans |
 | Caranx tilleG. Cuvier, 1833 | tille trevally | western part of its range, the species distributed throughout South Africa and Madagascar waters north along the east African coast up to Tanzania, with an apparent break in its range from Tanzania to India. Its range continues from India east to South East Asia and the Indonesian Archipelago. The distribution extends south to northern Australia, north to Japan, and to Fiji in the east |
 | Caranx vinctusD. S. Jordan &C. H. Gilbert, 1882 | cocinero | eastern Pacific Ocean, along the American coastline from Baja California in the north to Peru in the south, possibly including the Gulf of California |
The first representative ofCaranx found in the fossil record dates back to the mid-Eocene, a period when many modernPerciform lineages appeared.[1]Fossils mostly consist ofotoliths, with the bony skeletal material rarely preserved. They are generally found in shallow marine orbrackish water sedimentary deposits.A number of extinct species have been definitively identified and scientifically named, including:
The species in the genusCaranx are all moderately large to very large fishes, growing from around 50 cm in length to a known maximum length of 1.7 m and 80 kg in weight; a size which is only achieved by the giant trevally,Caranx ignobilis, the largest species ofCaranx.[15] In their general body profile, they are similar to a number of other jack genera, having a deep, compressed body with adorsal profile more convex than theventral.[16] Thedorsal fin is in two parts, the first consisting of 8spines and the second of one spine and between 16 and 25soft rays. Theanal fin has one or two detached anterior spines, with 1 spine and between 14 and 19 soft rays. Thecaudal fin is strongly forked. All species have moderate to very strongscutes on the posterior section of theirlateral lines. All members ofCaranx are all generally silver to grey in colour, with shades of blue or green dorsally, while some species have coloured spots on their flanks. Fin colours range fromhyaline to yellow, blue and black.[16]
The specific characteristics that distinguish the genus relate to specific anatomical details, with these being agill raker count between 20 and 31 on the first gill arch, 2 to 4canines anteriorly positioned in eachjaw, and dorsal and anal rays which are never produced into filaments as seen in genera such asAlectis andCarangoides.[7]
Species from the genusCaranx are distributed throughout thetropical and subtropical waters of the world, inhabiting theAtlantic,Pacific andIndian Oceans.[15] They are known from the coasts of allcontinents andislands (including remote offshore islands) within this range, and have a fairly evenspecies distribution, with no particular region having unusually high amounts ofCaranx species.[16]
Most species arecoastal fish, and very few venture into waters further offshore than thecontinental shelf, and these species are generally moved byocean currents. They inhabit a range of environments including sand flats,bays,lagoons,reefs,sea mounts andestuaries. Most species are demersal, or bottom dwelling, in nature, while others arepelagic, moving long distances in the upper water column.[7]
The level ofbiological information known about each species inCaranx is generally related to how important they are commercially. All species arepredatory fish, taking smaller fish,crustaceans andcephalopods as prey. Most species form schools as juveniles, but generally become more solitary with age.Reproduction and growth has been studied in a number of species, with these characteristics varying greatly between species.[7][16]
All species inCaranx are of at least minor importance tofisheries, but a number are much more so due to their abundance in certain regions. Most are considered to begamefish, with some such as the giant trevally andbluefin trevally highly sought after byanglers.[16] They are generally considered poor to fair qualitytable fishes, and have had a number ofciguatera poisoning cases attributed to them.[17]
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