Carangoides ferdau is a fish belonging to the order Peciformes and to the family Carangidae. It is a pelagic species that has a preference for coastal waters near sandy beaches or in waters close to reefs, and that we will find up to depths of up to 60 meters. Its geographical distribution is very wide in the Indian and Pacific oceans, being present from Japan to Australia and even in Hawaii.
The body of Carangoides ferdau is oval and laterally compressed, reaching total lengths of 55 cm and up to 8 kg in weight. The dorsal profile is more convex than the ventral profile, and has a rounded snout. The upper jaw is very protractile, and the mouth has non-fleshy lips in adult specimens. In both jaws, we find thin bands of small teeth that degenerate with age. It has two separate dorsal fins, the first one formed by 8 spines, and the second one has 1 spine followed by 26-34 soft rays. The height of the first rays of the second dorsal fin are much higher than the rest of the rays, a fact that occurs symmetrically also in the anal fin. The anal fin has 3 spines, being the first two spines independent, followed by 21-26 soft rays.
As for the body color of Carangoides ferdau, in adult specimens we will typically find 5-6 vertical dark bands on the flanks. The color of the head as well as the body is silver with blue-greenish reflections dorsally and lighter ventrally. It has numerous golden spots generally present on the dorsal part of the flanks, above the horizontal formed by the pectoral fins. The main rays as well as the tips of the dorsal and anal fins are darker blue than the body, and the rest of the fins have a pale yellow-greenish color except for the distal margin of the anal fin that is whitish, and the distal margin of the caudal fin that is dark.
Carangoides ferdau is a very fast swimmer, often forming small schools of individuals. The diet of this species consists of small fish such as verdels, as well as crustaceans and molluscs. The reproductive period of the species is not known with certainty, but it is estimated to occur during the month of December, based on an increase in the observation of larval stages observed in February.
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