False scad
(Caranx rhonchus)
General data
The false scad (Caranx rhonchus), also known as the spotfin scad, ten-finned horse mackerel and yellow horse mackerel, is a species of medium-sized marine fish classified in the jack family Carangidae.
The false scad is distributed throughout the tropical and temperate waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean from Namibia in the south to Spain and throughout most of the Mediterranean in the north.
The species has an atypical body form compared to other species of Caranx, and can be distinguished from these on its elongate scad-like body shape alone.
Distinguishing the species from members of Decapterus and Trachurus is more difficult, requiring detailed anatomical analysis.
The false scad is known to grow to a length of 60 cm and a weight of 1 kg.
The species lives both pelagically and demersally in continental shelf waters, ranging from depths of 15 to 200 m.
It is a predatory fish, taking small fishes, crustaceans including euphausiids and shrimps, and cephalopods as its main prey, with significant dietary shifts as it ages. The false scad reaches sexual maturity at 2 years of age, with spawning occurring between April and July in shallow inshore waters, where the juveniles remain.
