[2] The taxonomic history of the black jack is quite complex, with the species first referred to in error as Scomber adscensionis (Osbeck, 1771), which was also used to describe what is now known as Pseudocaranx dentex.

[3] Most later taxonomic revisions supported Poey's judgement, with the name C. ascensionis often considered a junior secondary homonym.

William Smith-Vaniz and John Randall put forth a proposal to the ICZN in 1994 to formally instate C. lugubris as the species name,[3] which was accepted in 1996.

[8] The species is widely known from many Indian Ocean islands including the Seychelles,[10] Réunion, Mauritius and Cargados Carajos[11] In the Pacific Ocean, the black jack is known from parts of the Indonesian-Australian archipelago north to Japan, and through many of the Pacific Islands such as Hawaii, New Caledonia and Tonga.

[12] In the western Atlantic Ocean, black jack have been found from North Carolina in the U.S.[13] south to Rio de Janeiro, with the species most common in the Caribbean and the northern Gulf of Mexico.

In the eastern Atlantic, the species has been reported from the Azores, Madeira St. Paul's Rocks, Ascension Island, and the Gulf of Guinea.

[8][14] The black jack is a benthopelagic species rarely found in shallow inshore waters, preferring deep, clear offshore waters[15] of depths from 12 to 354 m.[16] The species is most common in insular oceanic habitats and around offshore islands, rarely found close to the continents.

[15] At least one source asserts a fish of 2.21 m has been reported,[22] which if true would make the black jack the second largest species of carangid behind the yellowtail amberjack (2.5 m).

[24] The mouth is fairly large compared to other members of its genus and the maxilla extends to under the centre of the fish's eye.

DMSP is a naturally occurring chemical produced by marine algae and to a lesser extent corals and their symbiotic zooxanthellae.

[28] There is also some suggestion that in Brazil the species may be competing for food with the red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, with both having almost identical diets.

[31] The black jack is of moderate to high importance to commercial fisheries throughout its range, often being the most abundant large carangid in offshore island catches.

[12] The species rarity in most areas means it is not a major target for anglers, however some offshore locations such as the Bahamas the black jack is an important gamefish.

[17] Despite this, numerous ciguatera poisoning cases have been attributed to the black jack, with laboratory tests confirming the presence of the toxin in the species flesh.

[34] The IGFA all tackle world record for the species stands at 18.80 kg (41 lb 7 oz) caught off the Hurricane Bank, Mexico in 2013.