White Trevally - Pseudocaranx dentex - Schooling above Cirkewwa Reef

A large school of White Trevally moves through the blue water above Cirkewwa Reef in Malta, their streamlined silhouettes and forked tails forming a striking underwater pattern.

The White Trevally (Pseudocaranx dentex) has a streamlined but relatively deep and laterally compressed body, with a moderately rounded head, large eye and strongly forked tail. Its upper body is generally greenish-blue to grey, while the sides and underside are silvery-white, often with a yellow stripe running along the middle of the body and a darker marking near the upper edge of the gill cover. White Trevally are reef-associated fish that frequently form schools and may be encountered near rocky reefs, rough seabeds and in open water above them. They feed on a variety of marine invertebrates and planktonic prey. The species occurs in the Mediterranean as well as warm-temperate and subtropical waters elsewhere and has been recorded from about 10 to 238 metres depth. Individuals commonly reach around 40 centimetres, while exceptionally large specimens may exceed one metre. This photograph shows a sizeable school moving together through the blue water above Cirkewwa Reef in Malta.