Original description as Elops saurus:
- Linnaeus, Carolus. 1766. "12th edition". Systema naturae sive regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Laurentii Salvii, Holmiae. 1:1-532 (ffm00481)
Conservation: Elops saurus is evaluated by the international union for the conservation of nature in the iucn red list of threatened species as (LC) least concern (2012).