Shortfin scad (Decapterus macrosoma) is a saltwater species recorded in Malaysia. It is found at depths of 20–214 m. The main season in Malaysia runs summer, winter.
Scientific name: Decapterus macrosoma · Water: Saltwater · Season: Summer, Winter
Size: up to 35 cm
The shortfin scad is a round scad of the genus Decapterus, a slender, cylindrical fish with an iron-blue back, silver belly, translucent fins and a small dark spot on the gill cover that is the easiest way to tell it apart from its relatives. It is a tropical species of the Indo-West Pacific from East Africa to the Arafura Sea, and also of the eastern Pacific from the Gulf of California to Peru, recorded from about 20 to 214 m and schooling in open water where it feeds on invertebrates. In Malaysia round scads of this type are landed mainly by purse seiners and trawlers working the South China Sea and the waters off the east coast, with catches also off Sabah and the west coast, and they reach the market as fresh fish, salted fish and fish-ball paste. Anglers catch them on sabiki strings tipped with prawn bits from boats, jetties and breakwaters; the shoals are dense and the bite is quick, which suits beginners.
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