Yellowstripe Scad Fish: Characteristics, Diet, Uses

The Yellowstripe Scad fish is a species of small inshore fish in the jack and horse mackerel family Carangidae.

It is also known as the Yellowstipe Trevally, Yellow-Banded Trevally, Smooth-tailed Trevally, Slender Trevally, Slender-Scaled Trevally etc. It is the only member of the genus Selaroides.

The Yellowstripe Scad fish is distributed throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-West Pacific region. It’s distribution ranges from the Persian Gulf in the west to Vanuatu and New Caledonia in the east.

It is a commercially fished species in parts of it’s range. But the fish is not sold in large quantities nor have major population declines been observed or suspected.

There are numerous marine protected areas around the range of the Yellowstripe Scad fish. And currently it is listed as Least Concern. However, read some more information about this fish species below.

Yellowstripe Scad Fish Characteristics

The Yellowstripe Scad fish are relatively a small species. body shape is typical of many scads with an elongate, oblong and compressed body.

Their dorsal and ventral profiles are equally curved. There is a fairly well developed adipose eyelid on the latter half of the eye. Their dorsal fin is in two parts.

The first having 8 spines and the second having 1 spine and 24-26 soft rays. The anal fin has 2 detached spines followed by 20-23 soft rays. Both anal fin and soft dorsal fin have scaly basal sheaths.

Their breast is completely scaled, and there are 40-46 gill rakers in total and 24 vertebrae.

In case of coloration, the Yellowstripe Scad fish is a metalic blue to blue-green color above grading to a silvery white below with a characteristic broad yellow stripe extending from the upper margin of the eye to the caudal peduncle.

There is a black opercular spot is prominent and often extends onto the shoulder. The pelvic fins are white, the pectoral fins are hyaline, and the dorsal and caudal fins are pale to dusky yellow.

Common body length of the Yellowstripe Scad fish is around 15 cm, with a maximum length of 22 cm.

Maximum recorded body weight of the mature fish is 625 grams. Photo and info from Wikipedia.

Diet

Euphausiids, gastropods and ostracods are common diet of the Yellowstripe Scad fish. But they also eat small fish.

Breeding

The female Yellowstripe Scad fish generally reach maturity by about 11 cm fork length, when they are about or less than a year old.

Breeding season of these fish can vary depending on areas. There is a prolonged breeding season in India, with each individual spawning only once a year.

The season extends from July to March with 2 peaks in January to April and July to October.

Uses

The Yellowstripe Scad fish is is mainly used for food. It is a very common food fish of the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay.

Special Notes

The Yellowstripe Scad fish is commercially fished in parts of it’s range, with between 113,000 t and 195,000 t reported worldwide between 1990 and 2010.

The fish is harvested by using bottom trawls, traps, seines and gillnets. And the fish is generally marketed fresh, and dried salted.

The Yellowstripe Scad fish is distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans.

It is predominantly an inshore species. And it generally occurs in large demersal schools over soft substrates.

The fish inhabits inshore and shallow shelf waters to depths of 50 meters in Australia, while it has been recorded to 70 meter depth in Malaysia.

But the fish is most common between 40 and 60 meters depth. However, review full breed profile of the Yellowstripe Scad fish in the table below.

Name	Yellowstripe Scad
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Actinopterygii
Order	Periformes
Family	Carangidae
Genus	Selaroides
Species	S. leptolepis
Binomial Name	Selaroides leptolepis
Other Names	Also known as Yellowstipe Trevally, Yellow-Banded Trevally, Smooth-tailed Trevally, Slender Trevally, Slender-Scaled Trevally etc.
Breed Purpose	Mainly food
Weight	Can reach up to 625 grams
Special Notes	Important fish species, distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian and Western Pacific Oceans, commercially fished in parts of it’s range, mainly used for food, generally sold in markets in large quantities, usually marketed fresh, and dried salted, predominantly an inshore fish species
Breeding Method	Natural
Climate Tolerance	Native climate
Body Color	Metalic blue to blue-green color above grading to a silvery white below with a characteristic broad yellow stripe extending from the upper margin of the eye to the caudal peduncle. There is a black opercular spot is prominent and often extends onto the shoulder. The pelvic fins are white, the pectoral fins are hyaline, and the dorsal and caudal fins are pale to dusky yellow
Rarity	Common
Availability	Indian and Western Pacific Oceans