Giant Trevally

Photo: Nikolai Vladimirov · CC BY-NC

Giant trevally are among the most intelligent and visually sophisticated hunters on coral reefs, observed using the shadow of snorkellers and large animals to approach and ambush prey from below. They hunt in coordinated pairs or small groups, herding schooling fish toward the surface or reef walls before striking. As apex predators of reef flats and channel margins they regulate mid-trophic fish communities and their abundance serves as a proxy for overall reef fish biomass.