Sealife guideThe crevalle jackCaranx hippos

Taxonomy
  • Common name: Crevalle jack, common jack
  • French name: Carangue crevalle
  • Spanish name: Jurel común
  • Scientific name: Caranx hippos (Linnaeus, 1766)
  • Family name: Carangidae
  • Order name: Carangiformes
  • Class name: Actinopterygii
Description
The crevalle jack is distinguished by its elongated and streamlined body, adapted for fast swimming in the water. Its head is relatively large with a bulging forehead, and its mouth is equipped with sharp teeth, characteristic of carnivorous fish.
The crevalle jack (Caranx hippos)
The crevalle jack (Caranx hippos) © | Dreamstime.com
The body of this species is generally silver with a golden or bluish tint and features smooth scales that give it a hydrodynamic shape. Its dorsal and anal fins are yellow, as is its tail. A black stripe borders the back of its tail, while a black spot marks the rear base of its pectoral fins and the tip of the gills, at the level of the eye.
The crevalle jack typically measures 30 inches in length, although some individuals can reach up to 47 inches.
Range
The crevalle jack is a species of fish widely distributed in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It inhabits the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean, from Portugal to Angola, including the western part of the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the western part of the Atlantic, from Nova Scotia, Canada, and the northern Gulf of Mexico, down to Uruguay, passing through the Greater Antilles. However, this species is absent from the eastern Lesser Antilles.
Habitat
The crevalle jack frequents both shallow coastal waters and deeper pelagic zones offshore and can be found at depths of up to 1,150 feet. However, typically, this depth ranges from the surface to 656 feet.
Diet
The crevalle jack is an opportunistic carnivorous fish that primarily feeds on small fish, cephalopods like cuttlefish and squids, and crustaceans.
The crevalle jack (Caranx hippos)
The crevalle jack (Caranx hippos) © | Dreamstime.com
The crevalle jack is an active predator that uses its speed and ability to maneuver quickly to destabilize and capture its prey by surprise.
The crevalle jack lives in small groups of just a few individuals however, larger individuals may be solitary.
Reproduction
The crevalle jack is an oviparous fish species, and its reproduction occurs exclusively in the open sea in the subtropical Straits of Florida and the tropical Caribbean, where adults migrate to spawn.
Did you know ?
One of the most remarkable features of the crevalle jack is its crescent-shaped tail fin, which allows it to reach impressive speeds when hunting.
A school of crevalle jacks (Caranx hippos)
A school of crevalle jacks (Caranx hippos) © | Dreamstime.com
The crevalle jack is known for being a formidable predator, both fast and agile.
Due to its combative nature and speed, the crevalle jack is popular among sport fishing enthusiasts.
The crevalle jack is listed as many other marine species within The IUCN Red List of threatened species. The crevalle jack appears in the IUCN Red List since 2019 within the category Least Concern !
Within the same genus
Bigeye trevally (Caranx sexfasciatus)
Bigeye trevally
(Caranx sexfasciatus)
Giant trevally (Caranx ignobilis)
Giant trevally
(Caranx ignobilis)
Bluefin trevally (Caranx melampygus)
Bluefin trevally
(Caranx melampygus)
Bar jack (Caranx ruber)
Bar jack
(Caranx ruber)
Blue runner (Caranx crysos)
Blue runner
(Caranx crysos)
Horse-eye jack (Caranx latus)
Horse-eye jack
(Caranx latus)
Within the same family
African Pompano (Alectis ciliaris)
African Pompano
(Alectis ciliaris)
Orangespotted trevally (Carangoides bajad)
Orangespotted trevally
(Carangoides bajad)
Yellowspotted trevally (Carangoides fulvoguttatus)
Yellowspotted trevally
(Carangoides fulvoguttatus)
Golden trevally (Gnathanodon speciosus)
Golden trevally
(Gnathanodon speciosus)
Indian threadfish (Alectis indica)
Indian threadfish
(Alectis indica)
Leerfish (Lichia amia)
Leerfish
(Lichia amia)
Rudderfish (Naucrates ductor)
Rudderfish
(Naucrates ductor)
Snubnose pompano (Trachinotus blochii)
Snubnose pompano
(Trachinotus blochii)
Explore also
Pajama cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera)
Pajama cardinalfish
(Sphaeramia nematoptera)
Sea goldie (Pseudanthias squamipinnis)
Sea goldie
(Pseudanthias squamipinnis)
Blue-green chromis (Chromis viridis)
Blue-green chromis
(Chromis viridis)
Flagtail shrimpgoby (Amblyeleotris yanoi)
Flagtail shrimpgoby
(Amblyeleotris yanoi)
Banded angelfish (Apolemichthys arcuatus)
Banded angelfish
(Apolemichthys arcuatus)
Big-spot angler (Abantennarius nummifer)
Big-spot angler
(Abantennarius nummifer)
Delicate ghost pipefish (Solenostomus leptosoma)
Delicate ghost pipefish
(Solenostomus leptosoma)
Harlequin bass (Serranus tigrinus)
Harlequin bass
(Serranus tigrinus)
The marine species from Atlantic ocean
Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus)
Caribbean spiny lobster
(Panulirus argus)
Great atlantic scallop (Pecten maximus)
Great atlantic scallop
(Pecten maximus)
Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas)
Green sea turtle
(Chelonia mydas)
Hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Hawksbill sea turtle
(Eretmochelys imbricata)
Lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris)
Lemon shark
(Negaprion brevirostris)
Longsnout seahorse (Hippocampus reidi)
Longsnout seahorse
(Hippocampus reidi)
Spotted spiny lobster (Panulirus guttatus)
Spotted spiny lobster
(Panulirus guttatus)
Yellowtail snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus)
Yellowtail snapper
(Ocyurus chrysurus)
Dive centers
Noa Plongée
Noa dive center
Vous abonnez !

Our latestUpdates

The California spiny lobster
Monday, May 5th 2025
The California spiny lobster
The California spiny lobster has an elongated body and a hard exoskeleton, usually brown in color with yellow or orange patterns. The California spiny lobster inhabits the temperate waters along the eastern coast of the Pacific Ocean, particularly those of California and the Gulf of California.
The bigeye trevally
Monday, April 14th 2025
The bigeye trevally
The bigeye trevally has a silver-colored body with, as its name suggests, larger eyes compared to other trevally species. It is distinguished from other trevally species by the slightly yellowish color of its tail.
Best things to do in Miami
Monday, April 7th 2025
Best things to do in Miami
A flagship city of Florida, Miami is a dream destination where paradise beaches, a vibrant Latino atmosphere and a buzzing nightlife come together. With its year-round sunshine, iconic Art Deco architecture and dynamic cultural scene, Miami has everything to captivate travelers in search of escape.
Photo of the Day
Raie pastenague à pois bleus (Taeniura lymma)
Raie pastenague à pois bleus
(Taeniura lymma)