The shrimp scad is a species of widespread tropical marine fish of the jack family, Carangidae. The shrimp scad is widely distributed in the tropical and subtropical western Indian Ocean and areas of the eastern Pacific Ocean, ranging from South Africa in the west to Hawaii in the east, including Japan and Australia to the north and south. The species is commonly found on inshore reefs and sandy substrates. It has the common body profile of a scad, and may be difficult to differentiate from others in the genus Alepes. It is one of the larger scads, growing to 40 cm, but often is encountered at much smaller sizes. The shrimp scad often forms large schools, and is carnivorous, consuming a variety of crustaceans and small fish. It is of moderate importance to fisheries throughout its range. The colour of the body is an overall silver colour, with a green-blue tone on the upper body, while the underside fades to a more white colour. There is a diffuse dusky blotch on margin of operculum which is bordered by a smaller white spot. The spinous dorsal fin, including the last dorsal fin spine is blackish or dusky, the soft dorsal fin is blackish or dusky above the scaly sheath and the margin of first to fourth upper soft rays is whitish. The middle portion of the anal fin below the scaly sheath is slightly blackish or dusk. The caudal fin is often a striking yellow, especially when fresh, with the upper caudal lobe often fading to a darker shade. The posterior scutes may also be a yellow to rusty colour, especially after removal from the water. This fish resembles Indian mackerel when seen for the first time. The shrimp scad is known to be a migratory species, with records from India indicating the fish resides and feeds in the waters of Madras from September to May, before migrating elsewhere to spawn. The shrimp scad feeds on a variety of prey, with at least two shifts in diet occurring as the fish mature. Older individuals feed mainly on young fishes, crustaceans The species is of moderate commercial interest in most countries where it is often considered too small to be worthwhile and is often caught on hook and line tackle and in seines as bycatch. In Indian fisheries, the shrimp scad accounts for 43% of the carangid catch in purse seines, however is rarely taken by trawls or gill nets. It is also often taken by subsistence fisheries using various traditional gear such as inter-tidal fixed stake traps. Around the Asian and Indonesian coasts, larger numbers are taken than anywhere else in its range and it is considered a good eating fish