Queenfish - Giant
Also known as:
Queenie
Giant dart
Giant queenfish
Giant leatherskin
Leatherskin
Skinny
Skinny fish
Skinnyfish
Talang queenfish
White fish
Common Group Name:
Trevallies
Family Name:
Carangidae
Genus Name:
Scomberoides
Species Name:
Scomberoides commersonianus
Dispatch Method:
Beware of the many small but sharp dorsal spines of queenfish when handling them. The eating qualities of these fish can be greatly improved if they are killed immediately by iki jime or a firm knock to the head before placing them in an ice slurry after bleeding.
Fish Description:
- Body highly compressed (thin) with 5-7 darker blotches along each side, otherwise silver with yellowish tint around pectoral girdle and ventral surfaces of younger fish. Soft dorsal and anal fins with semi-detached finlets.
- This species grows quickly, reaching 28 cm in 1 year, and around 50 cm in 3 years. Maturity is reached at age 4-5 (55-65 cm).
- Growth slows after maturity, and maximum age is around 20 years.
Fish Distribution:
- This species occurs in tropical and subtropical waters throughout the Indo-Pacific region.
- Adults inhabit coastal waters, frequently near reefs and offshore islands.
- Both juveniles and adults are occasionally found in estuaries.
Fish Size Common Length:
45-80 cm, maximum size around 130 cm and 16 kg.
For assistance with identifying fishes, see fishesofaustralia.net.au. For information on size and bag limits, check out the website of your State Fisheries Department.
We thank fishesofaustralia.net.au and Australia's various Fisheries Departments for some of the thumbnail images used to assist with fish identification on this website and its applications, as licensed for use under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia. Thanks also to Michigan State University and Georgia Aquarium for generous donation of xrays of some US fish species.
