Crevalle Jack

Name:

Crevalle Jack

Other Names:

Common Jack

Black-tailed Trevally

Couvalli Jack

Black Cavalli

Yellow Cavalli

Scientific Name:

Caranx hippos

Characteristics:

The crevalle jack is a common species of large marine fish classified within the jack family, Carangidae.

Fish Habitat:

The crevalle jack lives in both inshore and offshore habitats, with larger adults preferring deeper waters than juveniles. In the inshore environment, crevalle jack inhabit shallow flats, sandy bays, beaches, seagrass beds, shallow reef complexes and lagoons, which may be open or landocked, and may be composites of the aforementioned environments. The species is also known to enter brackish waters with some individuals known to penetrate far upstream, however like most euryhaline species they generally do not penetrate very far inland.

Adults that move offshore generally do not leave continental shelf waters, however still penetrate to depths of 350 m and possibly deeper. These individuals live on the outer shelf edges, sill reefs and upper slopes of the deep reef, and tend to be more solitary than juveniles. Adults have also been sighted around the large oil rig platforms throughout the Gulf of Mexico, where they use the man made structure like a reef to hunt prey. The larvae and young juveniles of the species live pelagically offshore along the continental shelf and slope, and are also known to congregate around oil platforms, as well as natural floating debris such as sargassum mats.

Fish Habits:

The crevalle jack inhabits both inshore and offshore waters to depths of around 350 m, predominantly over reefs, bays, lagoons and occasionally estuaries.

The crevalle jack is a powerful predatory fish, with extensive studies showing the species consumes a variety of small fish, with invertebrates such as prawns, shrimps, crabs, molluscs and cephalopods also of minor importance. Dietary shifts with both age, location and season have been demonstrated, which led some researchers to postulate the species is indiscriminant in its feeding habits.

Adult Size:

The crevalle jack reaches maturity at 55 cm in males and 66 cm in females, with spawning taking place year round, although peaks in activity have been documented in several sites. The larval and juvenile growth has been extensively studied, with the oldest known individual 17 years of age.

Fishing Tactics:

If at all possible, use a medium weight-spinning outfit capable of holding 250 yards of 15 or 20 class line. Spinning outfits will normally outcast anything else when it comes to distance casting for Jack Crevalle.

For your leader, graduate from your main line (no swivels) up to 30 and then 50 pound. Tie a loop knot on your lure instead of a clinch knot to give your lure a more natural presentation. The Lure doesn’t really matter much as long as it floats.

Distribution:

The crevalle jack is distributed across the tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean, ranging from Nova Scotia, Canada to Uruguay in the west Atlantic and Portugal to Angola in the east Atlantic, including the Mediterranean Sea.

Fish ID Help:

The crevalle jack is distinguishable from similar species by its deep body, fin colouration and a host of more detailed anatomical features including fin ray and lateral line scale counts. It is one of the largest fish in the genus Caranx, growing to a maximum known length of 124 cm and a weight of 32 kg, although is rare at lengths greater than 60 cm.

The crevalle jack's colour ranges from brassy green to blue or bluish black dorsally, becoming silvery white or golden ventrally. A dark spot is present on the pectoral fin, with a similar dark to dusky spot present on the upper margin of the operculum. Juveniles have around five dark vertical bands on their sides, with these fading at adulthood.[13] The first dorsal fin, pectoral and pelvic fins range from white to dusky, occasionally with golden tinges throughout. The anal fin lobe is bright yellow, with the remainder of the fin ranging from golden to dusky, while the underside of the caudal peduncle often being yellow in adults. The caudal fin itself is also golden to dusky, with the lower lobe often brighter yellow than the upper, with both the lobes often having a black trailing edge.