Giant Trevally

The giant trevally, known locally as the GT, is one of the most powerful and impressive predatory fish found in Komodo National Park. These muscular, deep-bodied fish can reach lengths exceeding 1.7 metres and weights of over 80 kilograms, making them formidable apex predators of the reef. In Komodo, giant trevallies are a common sight at current-swept sites where they hunt in the turbulent waters around exposed pinnacles and channel mouths. Their hunting style is explosive — they accelerate from a slow cruise to blinding speed in an instant to intercept prey. Divers at sites like Castle Rock and Batu Bolong frequently witness GTs attacking schools of fusiliers and surgeonfish in spectacular feeding rushes. They are also intelligent hunters known to shadow reef sharks and other predators, using the confusion created during an attack to pick off fleeing prey. Their silver-grey colouration darkens dramatically when they are excited or hunting, turning almost black.