White Trevally - Pseudocaranx dentex - Swimming Together above the Seabed

A small group of White Trevally swims together above the seabed at Cirkewwa Reef, Malta, their silvery bodies and deeply forked tails catching the underwater light.

The White Trevally (Pseudocaranx dentex) has a streamlined but relatively deep body that is strongly compressed from side to side, with a moderately rounded head, large eye and deeply forked tail. Its upper surface is generally greenish-blue to grey while the flanks and underside are silvery-white, often with a yellowish stripe running along the middle of the body and a darker mark near the upper edge of the gill cover. White Trevally are reef-associated fish that frequently form schools and may be encountered above rocky reefs, mixed seabeds and nearby open water. They feed on a variety of small fishes, crustaceans and other marine invertebrates. The species occurs throughout the Mediterranean as well as in other warm-temperate and subtropical waters, is commonly found around 10–25 metres depth and has been recorded considerably deeper. Individuals commonly reach about 40 centimetres, although exceptionally large specimens may exceed one metre. This photograph captures a small group swimming closely together above the seabed at Cirkewwa Reef in Malta.