Golden Trevally
Gnathanodon speciosus
The golden trevally is a flashy and aggressive fish that is a predator of the reef. They swim and work together as a school. The golden trevally swims along with sharks of the reef for protection from other predators, and are even known to swim with scuba divers. With the vibrant colors of the golden trevally, this fish will not go unnoticed.
Credit: Ken Kurtis
SPECIES IN DETAIL
Golden Trevally
Gnathanodon speciosus
CONSERVATION STATUS: Least concern
CLIMATE CHANGE: Uncertain
At the Aquarium
A school of golden trevally may be viewed in our Tropical Reef gallery.
Geographic Distribution
The golden trevally ranges throughout the Indo-Pacific and Eastern Pacific. They may be found in the Gulf of Mexico.
Habitat
The golden trevally lives in deep lagoons and seaward reefs from the Indo-Pacific to the Eastern Pacific at the deepest depth of around 80 meters (263 feet) deep.
Physical Characteristics
The golden trevally as juveniles are a vibrant yellow or flashy silver with bold black bars on their body. As they grow to their adult size they become more silver and have black splotches with fainter black bars on their body. At the aquarium when it is feeding time, their bars become a bolder color. The trevally have a protractile mouth (capable of being extended) and a tall crescent shaped caudal fin.
Size
The golden trevally will grow to the size 1 meter (3.6 feet) and to an approximate weight of 15 kilograms (33 pounds).
Diet
The diet of the golden trevally mainly consists of small fish, crustaceans, and other invertebrates that they find in their habitat. They eat within their school in an aggressive manner; the school works as one team to root or dig in the sand for crustaceans and invertebrates.
Reproduction
This egg bearing fish lays its eggs from February to early October in a broadcasting reproduction process.
Behavior
The behavior of the golden trevally changes throughout its lifespan. For protection as a juvenile, they’re often found around sea jelly tentacles, whereas as an adult, they are often seen swimming with sharks. They are a schooling fish and live together as a unit.
Adaptation
As young fish, the golden trevally will hang out around the tentacles of sea jellies to stay safe from predators and as they get older they become more camouflaged with their environment.
Longevity
The golden trevally has a twenty-year lifespan in their natural habitat and possibly a little bit longer in captivity.
Conservation
The conservation of the golden trevally is not able to be precisely determined, but it can still be affected like other marine animals by pollution and the changing temperatures of our oceans.
Special Notes
The golden trevally protect themselves from predators by swimming close to sharks. They also darken the stripes on their body when they are feeding to let others in the school know.
SPECIES IN DETAIL | Print full entry
Golden Trevally
Gnathanodon speciosus
CONSERVATION STATUS: Least concern
CLIMATE CHANGE: Uncertain
A school of golden trevally may be viewed in our Tropical Reef gallery.
The golden trevally ranges throughout the Indo-Pacific and Eastern Pacific. They may be found in the Gulf of Mexico.
The golden trevally lives in deep lagoons and seaward reefs from the Indo-Pacific to the Eastern Pacific at the deepest depth of around 80 meters (263 feet) deep.
The golden trevally as juveniles are a vibrant yellow or flashy silver with bold black bars on their body. As they grow to their adult size they become more silver and have black splotches with fainter black bars on their body. At the aquarium when it is feeding time, their bars become a bolder color. The trevally have a protractile mouth (capable of being extended) and a tall crescent shaped caudal fin.
The golden trevally will grow to the size 1 meter (3.6 feet) and to an approximate weight of 15 kilograms (33 pounds).
The diet of the golden trevally mainly consists of small fish, crustaceans, and other invertebrates that they find in their habitat. They eat within their school in an aggressive manner; the school works as one team to root or dig in the sand for crustaceans and invertebrates.
This egg bearing fish lays its eggs from February to early October in a broadcasting reproduction process.
The behavior of the golden trevally changes throughout its lifespan. For protection as a juvenile, they’re often found around sea jelly tentacles, whereas as an adult, they are often seen swimming with sharks. They are a schooling fish and live together as a unit.
As young fish, the golden trevally will hang out around the tentacles of sea jellies to stay safe from predators and as they get older they become more camouflaged with their environment.
The golden trevally has a twenty-year lifespan in their natural habitat and possibly a little bit longer in captivity.
The conservation of the golden trevally is not able to be precisely determined, but it can still be affected like other marine animals by pollution and the changing temperatures of our oceans.
The golden trevally protect themselves from predators by swimming close to sharks. They also darken the stripes on their body when they are feeding to let others in the school know.