Biology
The whitefin trevally is a benthic predator, taking a variety of small fish, crustaceans and cephalopods, either by foraging or chasing down its prey using its eyes which are extremely well adapted to the deep, low light waters. Along with the white trevally, Pseudocaranx dentex, it is the only member of the Carangidae to have the anatomy of its eyes examined, with the study finding excellent dark environment sight due to the presence of a tapetum.
The maturation and reproduction of the whitefin trevally have been extensively studied off Japan due to the species economic importance in this region. Sexual maturity is reached at a minimum length of 15.1 cm, although most individuals reach maturity at around 17.4 cm length and every individual is mature by 24 cm. Although these parameters were calculated for female fish, observational data suggests the male life history is similar. In Japan, the species has a prolonged spawning season running from May to October, during which females spawn repeatedly, releasing between 13,862 and 79,899 eggs per batch. The growth of males and females is very similar, and both have a similar lifespan. A length of 7.5 cm is reached after the first year, and lengths of 12.3 cm, 16.0 cm and 18.8 cm after the second, third and fourth years respectively.
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