All fish / Carangidae

Golden Trevally

Gnathanodon speciosus

Also known as golden jack, banded trevally, king trevally, golden kingfish, pilot fish, yellow trevally, ปลาหางเหลือง, ปลาสีกุนข้างเหลือง, ikan gerong, ikan putih, コガネシマアジ, ikan kuwe macan

Juveniles are bright gold with bold black vertical bars and often travel alongside sharks and larger fish as pilots. Adults fade to silvery gold and grow into large, fast open-water predators. They are kept mainly in public aquariums and very large home systems for their striking juvenile colour and active schooling.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

60 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

4000 litres

Keep as

Small group in a very large system, or singly

Diet

Carnivore: shrimp, chopped fish, squid, krill and quality marine pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-Pacific and eastern Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to the Americas

Breeding

It spawns in open water, scattering pelagic eggs, and has not been bred in home aquariums.

Good to know

Sold small and cute but can exceed 100 cm in the wild and needs huge swimming space; it will eat small fish and crustaceans. Not reef safe with small tankmates.