page_title: Golden trevally
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Golden trevally / Description
caption_attribution_description: Gnathanodon speciosus
context_page_description: The golden trevally, also known as the golden kingfish, banded trevally and king trevally, is a species of large marine fish classified in the jack and horse mackerel family Carangidae, and the only member of the monospecific genus Gnathanodon. The golden trevally is widely distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, ranging from South Africa in the west to Central America in the east, extending to Japan in the north and Australia in the south. The species predominantly occupies inshore waters where it inhabits both reef and sandy substrates. The golden trevally is easily distinguished from its relatives by its fleshy, rubbery lips and unique colouration, which ranges from bright yellow with black bars as a juvenile to a golden-silvery colour as an adult. It is known to grow to 120 cm in length and 15 kg in weight. The golden trevally schools as a juvenile, often closely following larger objects including sharks and jellyfish. The species uses its protractile jaws to suck out prey from the sand or reef, and consumes a variety of fish, crustaceans and molluscs.
context_section_description: The golden trevally is a relatively large fish, growing to a maximum recorded size of 120 cm (47 in) in length and 15.0 kg in weight. It is similar to most other trevallies and jacks in having a compressed, oblong body, with the dorsal profile slightly more convex than the ventral profile, particularly anteriorly. The species' mouth is one of its defining features; the mouth is highly protractile and fleshy, with specimens greater than 90 mm having no teeth on the jaws, vomer or tongue. Smaller individuals have a series of small villiform teeth in both jaws. The dorsal fin is in two parts, the first with 7 spines, the second with 1 spine and 18 to 20 soft rays. The anal fin has 2 detached spines followed by 1 spine and 15 to 17 soft rays, while the pelvic fin consists of 1 spine and 19 to 20 soft rays. The curved part of the lateral line is moderately arched; containing 62 to 73 scales, and approximately equal in length to the straight section containing 15 to 27 scales and 18 to 25 scutes. The breast is completely scaled. There are 27 to 30 gill rakers and 24 vertebrae in total.
  The golden trevally's colour is the species most prominent distinguishing feature, and for which it acquired its common names. Juveniles are a bright golden yellow colour over their entire body and all fins, with 7 to 11 black vertical crossbars all over their body. These bars generally alternate between broad and narrow. The caudal fin lobes have dark tips and there is a prominent black edge to the operculum. As the fish grows, the body becomes more silver to silvery golden and the cross bars fade or disappear, often replaced by dark blotches. The fins remain yellow, often with greenish tinges. The dark edge of the operculum also fades with age.
caption: A juvenile golden trevally displaying the prominent dark bands
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