Megalaspis
1 species
The torpedo scad (Megalaspis cordyla), also known as the hardtail scad, finny scad, finletted mackerel scad or cordyla scad, is a species of moderately large marine fish classified in the jack and horse mackerel family, Carangidae. The torpedo scad is distributed throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific region, ranging from South Africa in the west to Tonga in the east, extending to Japan in the north and Australia in south. It is a schooling pelagic fish which occupies the surface layers of both inshore and offshore oceanic waters. The torpedo scad is easily identified by both its 'torpedo' shaped body and a series of detached finlets at the rear of both the dorsal and anal fins. The largest recorded individual was 80 cm long and weighed 4 kg, although it is more common at lengths less than 40 cm. It is a predatory species, taking a variety of fish, cephalopods and crustaceans by both active and filter feeding. There is a shift in diet as the species grow; however fish is the dominant prey in all size classes. Torpedo scad reach sexual maturity at 22 cm in females and 26.4 cm in males, with spawning occurring between March and July in India, where significant research into larval growth and morphometrics has been carried out.
The torpedo scad is of major importance to fisheries throughout the Indo-Pacific, including India. Statistics (which exclude India) show the annual catch of the species has risen from 70,000 tonnes in 1997 to 107,000 tonnes in 2007. The major users of the species from this data are Indonesia and Malaysia. The torpedo scad is often taken by anglers, however it is considered only marginal table fare and is occasionally used as bait.
The torpedo scad is distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian and west Pacific Oceans. In the west, the range of the species extends from the tip of South Africa north along the east African coastline to the Persian Gulf and Red Sea. Records of the fish are common from most Indian Ocean islands including the Maldives, Seychelles and Madagascar. The species is found along the Indian and Asian coastlines, extending north to China and South Korea on the mainland. It is abundant through the central Indo-Pacific and the Indonesian Archipelago, with its offshore range extending to Taiwan and Japan in the north. Around Australia, torpedo scad have been recorded as far south as Fremantle on the west coast and Sydney on the east coast. The range of the species extends to several eastern Pacific islands including Samoa, New Caledonia and Tonga.
The torpedo scad is a pelagic schooling species which is found in both far offshore oceanic environments as well as more protected inshore environments. The fish commonly are found in the upper water column near the surface waters. It is not found in estuaries and appears to be intolerant of dirty or turbid waters. The range of the species extends to more southern waters in summer as the warm waters push further down the coasts.
The torpedo scad (Megalaspis cordyla), also known as the hardtail scad, finny scad, finletted mackerel scad or cordyla scad, is a species of moderately large marine fish classified in the jack and horse mackerel family, Carangidae. The torpedo scad is distributed throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific region, ranging from South Africa in the west to Tonga in the east, extending to Japan in the north and Australia in south. It is a schooling pelagic fish which occupies the surface layers of both inshore and offshore oceanic waters. The torpedo scad is easily identified by both its 'torpedo' shaped body and a series of detached finlets at the rear of both the dorsal and anal fins. The largest recorded individual was 80 cm long and weighed 4 kg, although it is more common at lengths less than 40 cm. It is a predatory species, taking a variety of fish, cephalopods and crustaceans by both active and filter feeding. There is a shift in diet as the species grow; however fish is the dominant prey in all size classes. Torpedo scad reach sexual maturity at 22 cm in females and 26.4 cm in males, with spawning occurring between March and July in India, where significant research into larval growth and morphometrics has been carried out.
The torpedo scad is of major importance to fisheries throughout the Indo-Pacific, including India. Statistics (which exclude India) show the annual catch of the species has risen from 70,000 tonnes in 1997 to 107,000 tonnes in 2007. The major users of the species from this data are Indonesia and Malaysia. The torpedo scad is often taken by anglers, however it is considered only marginal table fare and is occasionally used as bait.
The torpedo scad is distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian and west Pacific Oceans. In the west, the range of the species extends from the tip of South Africa north along the east African coastline to the Persian Gulf and Red Sea. Records of the fish are common from most Indian Ocean islands including the Maldives, Seychelles and Madagascar. The species is found along the Indian and Asian coastlines, extending north to China and South Korea on the mainland. It is abundant through the central Indo-Pacific and the Indonesian Archipelago, with its offshore range extending to Taiwan and Japan in the north. Around Australia, torpedo scad have been recorded as far south as Fremantle on the west coast and Sydney on the east coast. The range of the species extends to several eastern Pacific islands including Samoa, New Caledonia and Tonga.
The torpedo scad is a pelagic schooling species which is found in both far offshore oceanic environments as well as more protected inshore environments. The fish commonly are found in the upper water column near the surface waters. It is not found in estuaries and appears to be intolerant of dirty or turbid waters. The range of the species extends to more southern waters in summer as the warm waters push further down the coasts.
