Pacific crevalle jack (Caranx caninus)

Scientific name: Caranx caninus G?nther, 1867

The Pacific crevalle jack (Caranx caninus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Carangidae.

Biology

Body deep, elongated and slightly compressed; eye with an adipose eyelid; posterior edge of lower jaw behind posterior edge of eye; chest mostly scaleless, just a small patch in front of pectoral fins; 35 to 42 strong scutes; back of body blue to blue black; belly white, silvery, or yellow; pectoral fins and operculum each with a black spot.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Caranx caninus
Family: Carangidae (Jacks and pompanos)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 101
Common length: 60.0
Depth range: 350 m (1148 ft)
Environment: Marine; brackish; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous; depth range ? - 350 m
Climate: Subtropical
Distribution: Eastern Pacific: San Diego, California, USA to Peru, including the Gulf of California and the Galapagos Islands. Probably the same species as Caranx hippos in the Atlantic.
Conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026