Caranx

Taxobox
name = "Caranx"
fossil_range = fossilrange|55|0
Eocene to Presentcite journal | last = Sepkoski | first = Jack | title = A compendium of fossil marine animal genera | journal = Bulletins of American Paleontology | volume = 364 | pages = p.560 | date = 2002 | url = http://strata.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/jack/showgenera.php?taxon=611&rank=class | accessdate = 2007-12-31 ]

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image_caption = The crevalle jack, "Caranx hippos"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Perciformes
subordo = Percoidei
superfamilia = Percoidea
familia = Carangidae
genus = "Caranx"
genus_authority = Lacépède, 1801
type_species = "Caranx carangua"
Lacépède, 1801
synonyms =
*"Paratractus" Gill, 1862
*"Tricropterus" Rafinesque, 1810
*"Vexillicaranx" Fowler, 1905
*"Carangus" Griffith & Smith, 1834
*"Carangus" Girard, 1858
*"Carangulus " Jordan & Evermann, 1927
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision = "See text for species"

"Caranx" is a genus of tropical to subtropical marine fish in the jack family Carangidae, commonly known as jacks, trevallies and kingfishes. They are moderate to large sized, deep bodied fishes which are distinguished from other carangid genera by specific gill raker, fin ray and dentition characteristics. The genus is represented in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans, inhabiting both inshore and offshore regions, ranging from estuaries and bays to deep reefs and offshore islands. All species are powerful predators, taking a variety of fish, crustaceans and cephalopods, while they themselves are also prey to larger pelagic fishes and sharks. A number of fish in the genus have a reputation as powerful gamefish and are highly sought by anglers. They often make up high amounts of the catch in various fisheries, but are generally considered poor to fair table fishes.

Taxonomy and naming

The genus "Caranx" is one of thirty currently recognised genera of fish in the jack and horse mackerel family Carangidae, which are Perciform fishes in the suborder Percoidei. [ITIS | ID = 168605 | taxon = "Caranx" | year = 2008 | date = 29 January] The species has long been planed in the subfamily Caranginae (or tribe Carangini), with modern molecular and genetic studies indicating this subdivision is acceptable, and that "Caranx" is well defined as a genus. [cite journal | last = Reed | first = David L. | coauthors = Carpenter, Kent E. & deGravelle, Martin J. | title = Molecular systematics of the Jacks (Perciformes: Carangidae) based on mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences using parsimony, likelihood, and Bayesian approaches | journal = Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution | volume = 23 | issue = 3 | pages = 513–524 | publisher = Elsevier Science | location = USA | date = 2002 | doi = 10.1016/S1055-7903(02)00036-2 | accessdate =2007-11-17 ] [cite journal | last = Zhu | first = Shi-Hua | coauthors = Wen-Juan Zing, Ji-Xing Zou, Yin-Chung Yang & Xi-Quan Shen | title = Molecular phylogenetic relationship of Carangidae based on the sequences of complete mitochondrial cytochrome b gene | journal = Acta Zoologica Sinica | volume = 53 | issue = 4 | pages = 641–650 | date = 2007 | url = http://www.actazool.org/paperdetail.asp?id=6630&volume=53&number=4&bgpage=641&=endpage650&year=2007&month=8 | accessdate = 2008-01-03 ] Phylogenetically, it has been shown that the monotypic genus of "Gnathanodon" is most closely related to "Caranx"; and indeed its sole member was once classified under "Caranx". [cite journal | last = Gushiken | first = S. | title = Phylogenetic relationships of the perciform genera of the family Carangidae | journal = Japanese Journal of Ichthyology | volume = 34 | issue = 4 | pages = 443–461 | date = 1988 | issn = 0021-5090 | accessdate = ]

"Caranx" was created by the French naturalist Bernard Germain de Lacépède in 1801 to accommodate a new species he had described; "Caranx carangua" (the crevalle jack), which was later found to be a junior synonym of "Scomber hippos", which in turn was transferred to "Caranx". cite book | last = Hosese | first = D.F. | coauthors = Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. and Alen, G.R. | title = Zoological Catalogue of Australia Vol. 35 (2) Fishes | publisher = CSIRO | date = 2007 | location = Sydney | pages = 1150 | isbn =978-0-643-09334-8 ] The early days of carangid taxonomy saw over 100 'species' designated as members of the genus, most of which were synonyms, and a number of genera were created which were later synonymised with "Caranx". "Caranx" took authority over these other genera names due to its prior description, rendering the rest as invalid junior synonyms. Today, after extensive reviews of the family, 18 species are considered valid by major taxonomic authorities Fishbase and ITIS, although there are many other species unable to be properly validated due to poor descriptions. The fish in the genus are commonly referred to as jacks, trevallies or kingfishes. Like the genus "Carangoides", the word "Caranx" is derived from the French "carangue", used for some fishes of the Caribbean.cite journal | last = Gunn | first = John S. | title = A revision of selected genera of the family Carangidae (Pisces) from Australian waters | journal = Records of the Australian Museum Supplement| volume = 12 | pages =1–78 | date = 1990 | accessdate =2007-11-01 ]

pecies

The following is a list of all extant species according to Fishbase

Genus "Caranx"
* Bluespotted trevally, "Caranx bucculentus" Alleyne & Macleay, 1877
* Green jack, "Caranx caballus" Günther, 1868
* Pacific crevalle jack, "Caranx caninus" Günther, 1867
* Blue runner, "Caranx crysos" (Mitchill, 1815)
* Longfin crevalle jack, "Caranx fischeri" Smith-Vaniz & Carpenter, 2006
* Blacktip trevally, "Caranx heberi" (Bennett, 1830)
* Crevalle jack, "Caranx hippos" (Linnaeus, 1766)
* Giant trevally, "Caranx ignobilis" (Forsskål, 1775)
* Horse-eye jack, "Caranx latus" Agassiz, 1831
* Black jack, "Caranx lugubris" Poey, 1860
* Bluefin trevally, "Caranx melampygus" Cuvier, 1833
* Brassy trevally, "Caranx papuensis" Alleyne & Macleay, 1877
* False scad, "Caranx rhonchus" Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1817
* "Caranx sansun" (Forsskål, 1775)
* Senegal jack, "Caranx senegallus" Cuvier, 1833
* Bigeye trevally, "Caranx sexfasciatus" Quoy & Gaimard, 1825
* Tille trevally, "Caranx tille" Cuvier, 1833
* Cocinero, "Caranx vinctus" Jordan & Gilbert, 1882

Evolution

The first representative of "Caranx" found in the fossil record dates back to the mid-Eocene, a period when many modern Perciform lineages appeared. Fossils mostly consist of otoliths, with the bony skeletal material rarely preserved. They are generally found in shallow marine or brackish water sedimentary deposits.A number of extinct species have been definitively identified and scientifically named, including:
*"Caranx annectens" Stinton, 1980 Eocene, EnglandSteindachner, 1859 Tertiary, Austria [cite journal | last = Smith-Vaniz | first = W.F. | coauthors = K.E. Carpenter | title = Review of the crevalle jacks, Caranx hippos complex (Teleostei: Carangidae), with a description of a new species from West Africa | journal = Fishery Bulletin | volume = 105 | issue = 2 | pages = 207-233 | date = 2007 | url = http://fishbull.noaa.gov/1052/smith.pdf | accessdate = 2008-10-06 ]
*"Caranx daniltshenkoi" Bannikov, 1990 Tertiary, Russiacite journal | last = Bannikov | first = A.F. | title = Fossil carangids and apolectids of the USSR | journal = Trudy Paleontologicheskogo Instituta | volume = 244 | pages = 1-108 | date = 1990 | issn = 0376-1444 | accessdate = ]
*"Caranx exilis" Rueckert-Uelkuemen, 1995 Tertiary, Turkeycite journal | last = Rueckert-Uelkuemen | first = Neriman | title = Carangidae, Priacanthidae, Scorpaenidae, and Sparidae (Pisces) from the Sarmatian layers of Pinarhisar (Thrace, Turkey) | journal = Mitteilungen der Bayerischen Staatssammlung fuer Palaeontologie und Historische Geologie | volume = 35 | pages = 65-86 | date = 1995 | issn = 0077-2070 | accessdate = ]
*"Caranx extenuatus" Stinton, 1980 Eocene, EnglandRueckert-Uelkuemen, 1995 Tertiary, Turkey
*"Caranx hagni" Rueckert-Uelkuemen, 1995 Tertiary, Turkey
*"Caranx praelatus" Stinton, 1980 Eocene, EnglandEastman, 1904 Eocene, Italy (may be attributable to own genus "Eastmanalepes") [cite journal | last = Bannikov | first = A.F. | title = An Eocene genus of scad, subfamily Caranginae | journal = Paleontologicheskii Zhurnal | volume = 1984 | issue = 3 | pages = 133-135 | date = 1984 | issn = 0031-031X | accessdate = ]
*"Caranx quietus" Bannikov, 1990 Tertiary, Russia

Description

The species in the genus "Caranx" are all moderately large to very large fishes, growing from around 50 cm in length to a known maximum length of 1.7 m and 80 kg in weight; a size which is only achieved by the giant trevally, "Caranx ignobilis", the largest species of "Caranx".FishBase genus | genus = Caranx | year = 2008 | month = June] In their general body profile, they are similar to a number of other jack genera, having a deep, compressed body with a dorsal profile more convex than the ventral.cite book | last = Carpenter | first = Kent E. | coauthors = Volker H. Niem (eds.) | title = FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Volume 5. Bony fishes part 3 (Menidae to Pomacentridae) | publisher = FAO | date = 2001 | location = Rome | pages = 2684 | url = http://ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/009/y4160e/y4160e00.pdf | isbn = 92-5-104587-9 ] The dorsal fin is in two parts, the first consisting of 8 spines and the second of one spine and between 16 and 25 soft rays. The anal fin has one or two detached anterior spines, with 1 spine and between 14 and 19 soft rays. The caudal fin is strongly forked. All species have moderate to very strong scutes on the posterior section of their lateral lines. All members of "Caranx" are all generally silver to grey in colour, with shades of blue or green dorsally, while some species have coloured spots on their flanks. Fin colours range from hyaline to yellow, blue and black.

The specific characteristics that distinguish the genus relate to specific anatomical details, with these being a gill raker count between 20 and 31 on the first gill arch, 2 to 4 canines anteriorly positioned in each jaw, and dorsal and anal rays which are never produced into filaments as seen in genera such as "Alectis" and "Carangoides".

Distribution and habitat

Species from the genus "Caranx" are distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the world, inhabiting the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. They are known from the coasts of all continents and islands (including remote offshore islands) within this range, and have a fairly even species distribution, with no particular region having unusually high amounts of "Caranx" species.

Most species are coastal fish, and very few venture into waters further offshore than the continental shelf, and these species are generally moved by ocean currents. They inhabit a range of environments including sand flats, bays, lagoons, reefs, sea mounts and estuaries. Most species are demersal, or bottom dwelling, in nature, while others are pelagic, moving long distances in the upper water column.

Biology and fisheries

and growth has been studied in a number of species, with these characteristics varying greatly between species.

All species in "Caranx" are of at least minor importance to fisheries, but a number are much more so due to their abundance in certain regions. Most are considered to be gamefish, with some such as the giant trevally and bluefin trevally highly sought after by anglers. They are generally considered poor to fair quality table fishes, and have had a number of ciguatera poisoning cases attributed to them. [cite book | last = Miller| first = Donald M. | title = Ciguatera Seafood Toxins | publisher = CRC Press | date = 1990 | pages = 8–9| isbn = 0849360730 ]

References

External links

* [http://www.fishbase.org/Eschmeyer/GeneraSummary.cfm?ID=Caranx Caranx at Fishbase]