Bluefin trevally

Photo: Rickard Zerpe · CC BY

One of the most visually striking members of the jack family, bluefin trevally are metallic blue-silver predators that hunt reef fish and small cephalopods in coordinated groups. In passages with strong current, they station themselves in the water column and intercept prey swept through the channel, sometimes cooperating with other predatory species. At Manta Passage, large schools of 50 to 100 bluefin trevally frequently patrol the upper wall alongside the manta aggregations, creating an overwhelming wildlife spectacle.