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Bigeye Scad
Selar crumenophthalmus (Bloch, 1793)
A Bigeye Scad caught on hook and line by D. Nobbs, off Lord Howe Island , New South Wales , January 2003 (AMS I.43325-001). Photo © G. Kelly. View larger image.
The deep groove in the lower margin of the gill opening is a distinctive characteristic of the Bigeye Scad. Photo: M. McGrouther © Australian Museum. View larger image.
The Bigeye Scad is bluish-green to green above grading to white below. There is black opercular spot and sometimes a yellow stripe along the side of the body. It has adipose tissue covering the eye with the exception of an oval slit positioned over the pupil. There is a deep groove in the lower margin of the gill opening, with a large papilla above it.
This species grows to about 30 cm in length.
It is a schooling pelagic species that occurs in tropical inshore waters circumglobally.
In Australia it is known from north-westerm Western Australia around the tropical north of the country and south to northern Queensland. The fish in the image was caught at Lord Howe Island, New South Wales and thus represents a significant range extension for the species (pers. com. W. Smith-Vaniz, April 2006).
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
This species has also been called the Purse-eye Scad.
Related links
- View the family Carangidae list
- View the family Trevallies list
Further reading
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Randall, J.E. 2005. Reef and Shore Fishes of the South Pacific: New Caledonia to Tahiti and the Pitcairn Islands. University of Hawai’i Press. Pp. 584.
- Smith-Vaniz, W.F. in Carpenter, K.E. & V.H. Niem. 1999. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 4. Bony fishes part 2 (Mugilidae to Carangidae). FAO. Rome Pp. iii-v, 2069-2790.
