Orange-spotted Trevally

The orange-spotted trevally has the typical body profile of its genus, having a moderately deep, compressed oblong shape, with the dorsal profile more convex than the ventral profile. It is a moderately large fish, with adults typically reaching a size of 45–60 cm. The largest fish recorded was 72 cm, but are most common at sizes below 40 cm. The dorsal profile of the head is quite straight from the snout to the nape, with an eye diameter smaller than the snout length. Both jaws contain narrow bands of villiform teeth, with these bands becoming wider anteriorly. The dorsal fin is in two parts, the first containing eight spines and the second of one spine followed by 24 to 26 soft rays. The anal fin is similar to the second dorsal fin, although slightly shorter, and consists of two anteriorly detached spines followed by one spine and 21 to 24 soft rays. Another of the major diagnostic features for the species is the length of the anal fin lobe in comparison to the head length, with C. bajad having a head length longer than the anal fin lobe. The lateral line has a slight, broad anterior curve, with this curved section being longer than the posterior straight section. The straight section of the lateral line has 14 to 26 scales followed by 20 to 30 scutes. …

The orange-spotted trevally inhabits the tropical to subtropical waters of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans. It is distributed from Madagascar and the Comoros Islands in the west, northwards to the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Persian Gulf, and probably east toward India, although few fish have been recorded in this region. It is commonly found from the Gulf of Thailand to Okinawa, Japan in the east, and southward to Indonesia, the Philippines, and New Britain. In 2005, orange-spotted trevally reportedly had been caught in the Mediterranean Sea, indicating they had become Lessepsian migrants, passing through the Suez Canal to extend their range. This claim has been disputed, though, with the source of the report coming under question due to the presence of other species unknown to the Mediterranean shown in the purported photograph. The orange-spotted trevally is a coastal species, most common in inshore waters over rocky and coral reefs, where it is found both solitary and in schools at depths of 2 to 50 m. They are often observed patrolling the edges of seaward reefs, and have been known to mingle with Parupeneus cyclostomus.