Fun White Trevally Facts For Kids

Do you find jack fish, like the bluestripe jack interesting? Then here we have all the information on the white trevally. The white trevally (Pseudocaranx dentex) is a species of trevally fish that belongs to the family Carangidae. The geographic range of this fish is pretty widespread in the Atlantic Ocean. They are however mostly seen in tropical waters and warm temperate waters. There have been reports of these fish also being present in the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean Sea, but the reports are still unconfirmed. If you ever decide to search for this fish in the vast sea, we suggest you look near the coastal waters near South Africa or Spain, or the United States, as that's the favorite place of the white trevally. They have a silvery-white body with a black or dark spot on the upper-rear margin of their operculum. They have become victims of too much fishing.

Read on to know more about the white trevally and if you like this article, then also check out bluefin trevally and bigeye trevally.

What type of animal is a white trevally?

White trevally (Pseudocaranx dentex) is a species of jackfish.

What class of animal does a white trevally belong to?

The white trevally (Pseudocaranx dentex), type of jackfish belongs to the family Carangidae and class Actinopterygii of animals.

How many white trevallies are there in the world?

The population of these jackfish in an exact number is not known. However, they have been seen to be common in some places and abundant in some places within their habitat range. This species is not caught in fisheries specifically, so keeping track of their population becomes a hard task. Hence, their population trend is also not known.

Where does a white trevally live?

The geographic range of the white trevally fish (Pseudocaranx dentex) is known to be pretty widespread in the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, they can be found from South Africa along with western Africa to Spain including the islands offshore. In the west, they occur from Brazil along with the United States from northeast Florida to North Carolina to Bermuda. Some reports say that they can even be found in the Bahama Bank in the west. Some unconfirmed reports have said they occur in the Mediterranean Sea, Pacific, and Indian Oceans as well.

What is a white trevally's habitat?

The primary white trevally habitat is coastal waters consisting of estuaries and bays in warm temperate and tropical areas. The juvenile fry is mainly found in estuaries and bays in shallow continental shelf waters. Whereas the adults can be seen around sea beds of the continental shelf waters. They can be found till the depth of 656.2 ft (200 m), but they are common within 82 ft (25 m) depth.

Who do white trevallies live with?

White trevally fish (Pseudocaranx dentex), species of jack fish are known to occur in schools in both their adult and juvenile stages.

How long does a white trevally live?

The lifespan of these fish can be quite long. They have been seen to live up to the age of 49 years.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season of the white trevally occurs around June-September. Around the offshore reefs, these fish form groups during the breeding season. During this time the female releases thousands of eggs and the male releases sperm and fertilization happens externally. Not much is known about the stages the larval life and fry go through and no parental care has been observed.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of this fish species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature is listed as Least Concern. They can fall victim to too much fishing, but they are not facing any great threats to their population as of now. Hence, no conservation plants are in action at this moment.

What do white trevallies look like?

The white trevally (Pseudocaranx dentex) is a medium to big-sized fish species. It has an oval and flat body shape. One set of pectoral, ventral, anal, and dorsal fins all have spiny rays that it can use as weapons. The other sets of these fins are usually unarmed or have only one spiny ray. Its lateral line is made up of 26-30 pointy boned scutes. It has a small mouth and their mandible is slightly smaller than their maxilla. The upperside of the fish is bluish green-colored, while there is a yellow stripe in the middle and the underside of the fish is silvery white-colored. A black or dark spot can be seen on the upper-rear margin of their operculum.

How cute are they?

These jack fish can be very beautiful with their glossy appearance. They are also not known to be aggressive in nature.

How do they communicate?

White trevally fish (Pseudocaranx dentex) communicate visually, by sound, and by vibrations in the water. They can understand the position of their prey and predators by the vibrations in their water with the help of their lateral line.

How big is a white trevally?

The average length of an adult white trevally is about 15.7 in (40 cm) and the maximum length is about 48 in (122 cm). They are significantly smaller than amberjack fish, which are about 72 in (182.9 cm) in length.

How fast can a white trevally swim?

The exact speed at which this fish swims is not known. However, they have been seen to swim at a moderate pace.

How much does a white trevally weigh?

These are usually medium to big-sized fish. An adult white trevally (Pseudocaranx dentex) can weigh about 39.9 lb or 18.1 kg.

What are the male and female names of the species?

The males and females of the species have no specific names.

What would you call a baby white trevally?

A baby white trevally (Pseudocaranx dentex) is known as fry.

What do they eat?

These fish are omnivorous in nature. They feed on algae, small fish, and small invertebrates, like shrimps. They search for food in shallow waters, use suction and ram-filtering to feed.

Are they poisonous?

No, they are not poisonous or dangerous at all. They are caught in fisheries a lot because they are actually edible.

Would they make a good pet?

There have been no records of these fish living in homes as pets. They also thrive and survive the best in their wild habitat, so it would be best to not take them away from their natural habitat.

Did you know...

White trevally fish (Pseudocaranx dentex) can be considered as white fish. A white fish means such fish that taste good, are not too expensive, and can be cooked rather quickly. White trevally fish can be cooked pretty quickly. They even tend to get overcooked if kept even a little longer than necessary.

These fish can be found in New Zealand. Mainly around the top half of the South Island and North Island of New Zealand. In New Zealand, they are known as araara in Māori.

Is the white trevally reef safe? 

Just like other reefs around the world, the white trevally reef is also in danger due to global warming. It still isn't affecting the population of the fish in any large manner, but it might affect them in the future.

Can we eat them?

Yes, the white trevally jack fish is edible. They have slightly oily, dense, and firm meat that can be quite good to eat. This has become a reason why they fall victim to too much fishing.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these giant trevally facts and pigfish facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable catfish coloring pages.

The second image is owned by Philippe Guillaume.