Orangespotted Trevally - Distribution and Habitat

Distribution and Habitat

The orangespotted trevally inhabits the tropical to subtropical waters of the Indian and west 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 there have been few records in this region. It is commonly found from the Gulf of Thailand to Okinawa, Japan in the east, and southward to Indonesia, Philippines and New Britain. In 2005, it was reported that orangespotted trevally 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 orangespotted 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.