Marine life  /  Jacks & open-water fish  /  Bluefin trevally
Reviewed 2026-09-06
Species entry

Bluefin trevally

Caranx melampygus

Electric blue fins and dark spots; hunts singly or in twos rather than in schools.

Size
To 100 cm
Depth
3–45 m
Habitat
Reef slopes, drop-offs and sand
Active
Daylight
Range
Indo-Pacific
Rarity
Bali
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
SP-01
bluefin trevally · full body · habitat
4:3 · min 2400px

To about 100 cm, silver-blue with dense small dark blue and black spots over the upper body and bright electric blue dorsal, anal and tail fins. Juveniles are plain silver and unmarked. The blue is strongest in adults and in hunting fish, and is unmistakable at distance.

Unlike the bigeye trevally it does not form daytime schools; it hunts alone or in pairs, working along a slope or across sand and taking small fish in fast runs. It follows octopus, goatfish and moray eels to take what they flush, and follows divers on sand for the same reason. It is one of the more regular large predators on muck sites and will make repeated close passes. Recorded from about 3 to 45 m.

Where to find:

LocationRarity Best monthsDepthHabitat
Bali Indonesia editorial estimate
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Year-round
3–45 m
Reef slopes, drop-offs and sand
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea editorial estimate
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Year-round
3–45 m
Coral reef and drop-offs
Anilao Philippines editorial estimate
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Year-round
3–40 m
Reef slopes and sand
Dauin & Dumaguete Philippines editorial estimate
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Year-round
3–40 m
Reef edges and sand
Lembeh Strait Indonesia editorial estimate
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Year-round
3–40 m
Reef slopes and sand
Islas Revillagigedo Mexico editorial estimate
2 stars of 5, usually seen in a week
Year-round
5–40 m
Open water above rock and walls

Ratings are per location: 1 means found on most dives that look for it, 5 means a handful of records. Where enough dives have been logged the figure is calculated from them; otherwise it is an editorial estimate, and says so. We publish habitat and destination, not the dive site.

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