Thunnus alalunga

• Overview
• Common Names
• Description
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• Bibliography
• More Info
• Notes

Overview

Family : Mackerels , tunas , bonitos ; An epipelagic and mesopelagic, oceanic species, abundant in surface waters of 15.6¦ to 19.4¦C; deeper swimming, large albacore are found in waters of 13.5¦ to 25.2¦C; temperatures as low as 9.5¦C may be tolerated for short periods (Ref. 168). Known to concentrate along thermal discontinuities (Ref. 168). Form mixed schools with skipjack tuna ( Katsuwonus pelamis ), yellowfin tuna ( Thunnus albacares ) and bluefin tuna ( T. maccoyii ), schools may be associated with floating objects, including sargassum weeds (Ref. 168). Feed on fishes , crustaceans and squids . Highly appreciated and marketed fresh, smoked, deep frozen or canned. Eaten steamed, broiled, fried and microwaved (Ref. 9987). Sexual maturity reached at 90 cm (Ref. 36731). Also Ref. 1762, 1798, 1804.

Common Names

Click on the language to view common names.

Description

Family Scombridae

Distribution: tropical and subtropical seas . Body elongate and fusiform , moderately compressed in some genera. Snout pointed , premaxilla beaklike, free from nasal bones which are separated by the ethmoid bone; mouth large; teeth in jaws strong , moderate, or weak; no true canines; palate and tongue may bear teeth. The 2 dorsal fins separate and depressible into grooves with 5-12 finlets behind second dorsal and anal fins; first dorsal fin with 9-27 rays , origin well behind the head . Pectoral fins high on body. Pelvic fins moderate or small with 6 fin rays , placed below the pectoral fins. Caudal fin deeply forked with supporting caudal rays completely covering hypural plate. At least 2 small keels on each side of caudal fin base , a larger keel in between on caudal peduncle in more advanced species. Lateral line simple . Vertebrae 31-66. Body covered with small to moderate scales or a scaly corselet developed (area behind head and around pectoral fins covered with large thick scales) and rest of body naked or covered with tiny scales. Gill membranes not united to isthmus. Thunnus and close relatives with a specialized vascular system for heat exchange; the evolution of this and related adaptations for endothermy are discussed in Brock et al. 1993, Science 260:210-214. Primarily swift, epipelagic predators ; some species occur in coastal waters , others far from shore . Mackerels (Scomber and Rastrelliger) filter plankton with their long gill rakers. Spanish mackerels, bonitos and tunas feed on larger prey , including small fishes , crustaceans and squids . The main predators of smaller scombrids are other predacious fishes, particularly large tunas and billfises. Dioecious and most display little or no sexual dimorphism in structure or color pattern . Females of many species attain larger sizes than maels. Batch spawning of most species takes place in tropical and subtropical waters, frequently inshore . Eggs are pelagic and hatch into planktonic larvae. Among the most important of commercial and sport fishes. Thunninae=ISSCAAP 36; Scombrinae=ISSCAAP 37. Also Ref. 50681.The family Scombridae belongs to the Class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) and the Order Perciformes. It contains 15 genera and 51 species. It may be found in Marine and Brackish environments and is primarily Marine. Members of this family are not used in the aquarium trade. Reproductively, most members of this family are nonguarders. The main mode of swimming of adult fish in this family is thunniform. Compared with other fish, the activity level of this family tends to be very active . Members of this family have been dated back to the lower Eocene epoch of the Tertiary period. Etymology of this family name : Latin, scomber = mackerel . 1841

Habitat

Biome: Saltwater . Pelagic .

Taxonomy

Ambiguous Synonyms

1. Orcynus alatunga (Gmelin, 1789)
2. Scomber alatunga Gmelin, 1789

Unambiguous Synonyms

1. Albacora alalonga (Bonnaterre, 1788)
2. Germo alalonga (Bonnaterre, 1788)
3. Germo alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788)
4. Germo germo (Lacep�de, 1801)
5. Germo germon (Lacep�de, 1800)
6. Germo germon subsp. steadi Whitley, 1933
7. Orcynus alalonga (Bonnaterre, 1788)
8. Orcynus germo (Lacep�de, 1801)
9. Orcynus germon (Lacep�de, 1800)
10. Orcynus pacificus Cooper, 1863
11. Scomber alalunga Bonnaterre, 1788
12. Scomber albicans Walbaum, 1792
13. Scomber germo Bennett, 1840
14. Scomber germo Lacep�de, 1801
15. Scomber germon Lacep�de, 1800
16. Thunnus alalonga (Bonnaterre, 1788)
17. Thunnus alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788)
18. Thunnus germo (Lacep�de, 1801)
19. Thunnus pacificus (Cuvier, 1832)
20. Thynnus alalonga (Bonnaterre, 1788)
21. Thynnus alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788)
22. Thynnus pacificus Cuvier, 1832

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name . Latest taxonomic scrutiny: Group expert : Collette B .B., Data last modified by FishBase 01-Dec-1998

Similar Species

Members of the genus Thunnus

There are approximately 29 species in this genus:

T. alalunga · T. alalunga · T. albacares · T. alalunga (Albacore) · T. alb · T. albacares ('fin) · T. albacares macropterus · T. albacaris · T. albalonga · T. albecares · T. atlanticus (Albacore) · T. bacares · T. atlanticus · T. maccoyi · T. maccoyii (Bluefin) · T. obesus (Big Eye) · T. obesus mebachi · T. obesus sibi · T. orientalis (Bluefin Tuna) · T. tanggul · T. thunnina · T. thunnus · T. thynnus (Atlantic Bluefin Tuna) · T. thynnus coretta · T. thynnus maccoyii · T. thynnus orientalis · T. thynnus saliens · T. thynnus thynnus · T. tonggol (Blue Fin Tuna)

Bibliography

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More Info

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Notes

Contributors

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed October 4, 2006.
• Collette, Bruce B. (from FishBase).
• FishBase 2006.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed March 01, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 6 providers.
• Universal Biological Indexer and Organizer. uBio.org accessed July 17, 2008.
• Uozumi, Y. 1996. In IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCNRedList.org. Downloaded July 18, 2008.
• Uozumi, Y. 1996. Thunnus alalunga. In: IUCN 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org . Downloaded on 20 October 2006.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal March 01, 2008:

• Canadian Museum of Nature: Canadian Museum of Nature Fish Collection
• FishBase: FishBase DiGIR Provider - Philippine Server
• GBIF-Sweden: Fishes (NRM)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Bureau of Rural Sciences National commercial fisheries half-degree data set 2000-2002 (OBIS Australia)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Canadian Museum of Nature - Fish Collection (OBIS Canada)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: iziko South African Museum - Fish Collection
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (First Semester of 1985)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (First Semester of 1986)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (First Semester of 1987)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (First Semester of 1988)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (First Semester of 1989)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (First Semester of 1990) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (First Semester of 1991) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (First Semester of 1992) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (First Semester of 1993) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (First Semester of 1994) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (First Semester of 1995) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (First Semester of 1996) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (First Semester of 1997) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (First Semester of 1998) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (First Semester of 1999) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (First Semester of 2000) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (First Semester of 2001) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (First Semester of 2002) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (First Semester of 2003) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (First Semester of 2004) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (First Semester of 2005) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (Second Semester of 1985)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (Second Semester of 1986)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (Second Semester of 1987)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (Second Semester of 1988)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (Second Semester of 1989)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (Second Semester of 1990) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (Second Semester of 1991) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (Second Semester of 1992) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (Second Semester of 1993) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (Second Semester of 1994) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (Second Semester of 1995) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (Second Semester of 1996) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (Second Semester of 1997) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (Second Semester of 1998) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (Second Semester of 1999) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (Second Semester of 2000) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (Second Semester of 2001) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (Second Semester of 2002) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (Second Semester of 2003) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (Second Semester of 2004) (AfrOBIS)
• Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Marine and Coastal Management - Linefish Dataset (Second Semester of 2005) (AfrOBIS)
• Museum national d'histoire naturelle: Ichtyologie
• Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University: MCZ Fish Collection
• National Chemical Laboratory: IndOBIS, Indian Ocean Node of OBIS
• OZCAM (Online Zoological Collections of Australian Museums) Provider: Online Zoological Collections of Australian Museums

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 6548340
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Fis-22832
• Fishbase Species ID: 142
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13535654
• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 172419
• IUCN ID: 21856
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: AFCS308010
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 12186

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