Family : Carangidae (Jacks and pompanos)
Order : Perciformes  (perch-likes)
Class : Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Fishbase Name : Shortfin scad
Fish Name : Decapterus macrosoma
Max size : 35.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 3197)
Environment : reef-associated ; depth range 20 - 214 m
Climate : tropical; 32°N - 20°S
Global Importance : fisheries: commercial; bait: usually
Resilience: High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=0.50-1.60)Distribution : Indo-West Pacific: East Africa (no verified records from the Red Sea) to Malaysia, Indonesia and the Arafura Sea. Eastern Pacific: Gulf of California to Peru, including the Galapagos Islands (Ref. 9283).
Diagnosis : Dorsal spines (total): 9-9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 33-38; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 27-30. Body slender, elongate, and somewhat circular in cross section; posterior end of upper jaw concave dorsally and with a rounded protrusion ventrally; edge of shoulder girdle (cleithrum) with two small papillae, the lower one larger; dorsal and anal fin each followed by a separate finlet (Ref. 55763). Color metallic blue dorsally, silvery ventrally; fins hyaline; opercle with a small black spot (Ref. 2334). 24-40 scutes. Very slender compared to similar species (Ref. 48635).
Biology : A predominately pelagic schooling species (Ref. 9283, 48635, 58302). Occasionally seen in small groups along reef slopes adjacent to deep water in pursuit of zooplankton (Ref. 48635). Feeds mainly on small invertebrates (Ref. 5213). Marketed fresh and salted or dried (Ref. 9283)
Threatened : Dangerous:  
Dangerous : harmless
Coordinator : Smith-Vaniz, William F.
Main Ref : Paxton, J.R., D.F. Hoese, G.R. Allen and J.E. Hanley. 1989. (Ref. 7300)

India country information
Common Names : Layang scad
Status : native
Salinity : marine
Uses : no uses