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Ocean Voyager built by The Home Depot

Golden trevally

Golden trevally

(Gnathanodon speciosus)

The golden trevally is found throughout the Indo-Pacific region. It also occurs in the eastern Pacific from the Baja California to Ecuador. It prefers deep lagoons and seaward reefs where it feeds on small fishes, crustaceans and other invertebrates. The young and juveniles are bright yellow in color with black bars on the body, while adults are silver with a few black blotches or faint bars on the sides.

This trevally is a member of the jack family and forms large schools, particularly when young. It is noted for its behavior of swimming closely around sharks and other large fish for protection from likely predators.

You can find the golden trevally in the Ocean Voyager gallery.

Fun Facts

  • The golden trevally will swim close to divers and follow them around.
  • It usually remains at depths less than about 35 feet.
  • Small juveniles will live among the tentacles of jellyfish.
  • Golden trevally are raised on fish farms for food and for sale to the aquarium trade.
  • The Georgia Aquarium received a shipment of about 50,000 golden trevally from a fish farm in Taiwan.
  • Download full fact sheet

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