Fish
Malabar Kingfish
Carangoides malabaricus
A silvery, deep-bodied trevally with a golden sheen, schooling over inshore reefs and sandy grounds off KZN.
Also known as kingfish(malabar), malabar jack, malabar kingie, malabar trevally
- Typical size
- Commonly 30-50 cm, up to about 60 cm
- Habitat
- Inshore reefs and sandy grounds
- Depth
- Shallows to about 140 m
The Malabar kingfish is a compact, laterally compressed trevally with a steep head profile, silvery flanks and a yellowish to golden wash on the body and fins. The rear of its lateral line carries the scutes typical of the kingfish family, and the gill cover often shows a small dark spot.
It occurs over inshore reefs, sand and mud grounds along the warmer east coast, usually in schools that feed on small fish and crustaceans near the bottom. A strong, active swimmer, it is a common catch for anglers and is encountered by divers over open reef edges and sandy patches.