Jacks, Amberjacks, Trevally etc.

[family Carangidae, Genus Caranx, various species   |   Genus Seriola (amberjacks)   |   others]

Common names within family Carangidae are very disorderly, including Jacks, Amberjacks, Pompanos, Trevally and Scads, without clear differentiation as to which are which. This page deals with those most commonly called Jacks and Trevally, which tend to be some of the larger of the Carangidae, without too much regard to what genus they belong to. With 30 genera, the naming mess is impossible to make orderly. For other fish in this family see Pomponos, Scad and Bumpers.

More on Varieties of Fish (very large page)

Blue Runner

Belonging to the same family as Pompanos, Blue Runners are found close to coasts and reefs on both sides of the Atlantic and in the Mediterranean. They range from the southern tip of England to Angola, and from Nova Scotia, Canada, to northern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. They can grow to nearly 28 inches and 11 pounds, but the photo specimen was fairly typical at 14 inches and weighing 1 pound 1-1/2 oz. This fish is a minor commercial catch, and is IUCN rated LC (Least Concern).   Details and Cooking.

Crevalle Jack

The Pacific and Atlantic fish may actually be the same species. The Pacific, is found from Southern California to Peru and may grow to almost 40 inches and almost 40 pounds, but the photo specimen was 11 inches and 11 ounces. Atlantic fish are found from Nova Scotia to Uruguay and have grown to over 48 inches and 70 pounds.   Details and Cooking.

Yellowspotted Trevally

Belonging to the same family as Jacks and Pompanos, Yellowspotted Trevally are found in the Indo-West Pacific tropical and subtropical regions.They can grow to 47 inches and nearly 40 pounds, but the photo specimen was 16-3/4 inches and weighed 2 pounds 8-1/2 oz. This fish is Red List rated as NE (Not Evaluated) and is not considered threatened. Like other fish in this family, this is a very fine eating fish.   Details and Cooking.

Yellowstripe Trevally

This fish is actually a Scad, but often called "Trevally" in Philippine fish markets (they are related).

Yellowtail Amberjack

This large jack is found along coasts worldwide, from north subarctic to south subarctic. This is a prize game fish off the coast of California and can grow to over 8 feet long and over 200 pounds, but the photo specimen was 27 inches and 7.44 pounds.   Details and Cooking.

Japanese Amberjack / Hamachi

[Seriola quinqueradiata]

This large jack is is found mainly along the coasts of Japan and Korea, but can sometimes be found as far east as Hawaii and Baja California. This fish can grow to about 5 feet and 80 pounds, but the photo specimen was 19 inches long and weighed 3 pounds 2 ounces. It is very popular in Japan eaten both raw and cooked.   Details and Cooking.

Greater Amberjack / Kanpachi

[Allied Kingfish, Great Amberfish, Greater Yellowtail, Jenny Lind, Sea Donkey, Reef Donkey; Kanpachi (Japan); Seriola dumerili of family Carangidae]

Native to the the tropics and subtropics almost worldwide, this fish can grow to 6 feet and 178 pounds, but is commonly about 3-1/4 feet. It is considered an excellent eating fish, especially for sushi and sashimi in Japan. IUCN Red List LC (Least Concern).   Details and Cooking.

Needle Scaled Queenfish

Native to the tropics and subtropics of the Indo Pacific, from the east coast of Africa to the west coasts of North and South America, This fish can grow to 2 feet long and a little over 1 pound, but the photo specimen was 13-1/2 inches long and weighed 8-3/8 ounces. The Doublespot Queenfish is almost identical except it has another row of smaller spots below the main spots, and it grows a little bigger.   Details and Cooking.

Yellowtail Horse Mackerel

Greenback Horse Mackerel

These two very similar fish are found around New Zealand and southern Australia. The far more numerous Yellowtail is often confused with the related Yellowtail Scad. It is more slender, the fins are slightly different, and the row of scutes turns more steeply upward. For prep and cooking, our Yellowtail Scad page should work fine.   Photo by Clinton Duffy, non-commercial, attribution required.

Cape Horse Mackerel

The Cape Horse Mackerel is native to the west coast of Africa from the Gulf of Guinea south to the tip of Africa, and most numerous off Namibia and South Africa. While it is mainly bycatch from other fisheries, this fish is so abundant it is a major commercial catch in the region. This fish can grow to 25 inches but is more commonly 12 inches long. IUCN Red List status NE (Not Evaluated).   Photo by Frederick Hermanus Van der Bank, University of Johannesburg contributed to the Public Domain.