Giant Trevally (Patal)

Introduction

We bet you must have seen this fish in shops and with street vendors but they often fake it as Heera, Dhotar, Paplet, and other famous fish. Very few know it by actual name. Bringing you Giant Trevally – Patal Fish from the Arabian Sea.

Indeed a great eating fish, The extremely fresh specimen of this fish is also exported to rest of the world. It is found throughout the Indo-Pacific region and can grow up to the whooping weight of 30 kg.

The Giant Trevally – Patal is an apex predator and is known to hunt in schools or individually. They are often seen in the company of sharks, who they use in one of their hunting techniques to ambush prey.

Flavor Profile

Giant Trevally tastes similar to other Trevally fish. They have dense and meaty, pink steaks with a mild flavor. The flavor of the fish does vary from location to location and even fish to fish.

Nomenclature

English Name: Giant Trevally
Local Name: Patal, Kakkar, Kak-Kawan
Scientific Name: Caranx ignobilis

Habitat

Giant Trevally is a sea fish that inhabits a wide range of marine environments, from estuaries, shallow bays, and offshore atolls.

Catching Method

Giant Trevally is caught using gillnets.

Physical Attributes

The Giant trevally is similar in shape to several other trevallies, having an ovate, moderately compressed body with the dorsal profile more convex than the ventral profile, particularly anteriorly. The dorsal fin is in two parts, the first consisting of eight spines and the second of one spine followed by 18 to 21 soft rays. The anal fin consists of two anteriorly detached spines followed by one spine and 15 to 17 soft rays

Color

Head and body are dusky golden dorsally and silver ventrally. Fins are gray to black. All the fins are generally light grey to black, although fish taken from turbid waters often have yellowish fins, with the anal fin being the brightest.

Size

On average, the Giant Trevally size range is 1 kg to 5 kg per fish. However, other sizes are also occasionally available.

Cutting Preferences

Giant Trevally is preferred for Boneless cutting

Approx. Cutting Yields

Whole: 100%
Gutted: 75%
Headless and Gutted: 55%
Slices: 35%
Boneless: 38%

Cooking Preferences

Giant Trevally is preferred for curries, deep-frying, and Kababs.

Health Benefits

• Heart friendly
• Lowers Blood Pressure
• Improves Immune System
• Strengthens the bones
• Improves Skin and Hair health