Also known as:
Skipjack
Skipjack tuna
Aku
Bonito
Oceanic bonito
Stripebellied bonito
Striped bonito
Stripey
Watermelon tuna
Common Group Name:
Mackerels and Tunas
Family Name:
Scombridae
Genus Name:
Katsuwonus
Species Name:
Katsuwonus pelamis
Dispatch Method:
The eating qualities of striped tuna can be greatly improved if they are killed immediately by iki jime before placing them in an ice slurry after bleeding. A firm knock on the head may be required to stun larger fish first before attempting iki jime.
Fish Description:
- Dark blue dorsally, sides and belly silvery. Four to six longitudinal dark stripes along belly and sides below lateral line. Swimbladder absent.
- A fast growing species, striped tuna mature in their second year at 40-45 cm long.
Fish Distribution:
- Striped tuna occur worldwide in tropical and warm-temperate offshore waters in all of the worlds major oceans.
- This species is often associated with drifting objects.
Fish Size Common Length:
30-60 cm (12-24 inches), maximum size around 120 cm (4 feet) and 35 kg. World record 21 kg (46 lb) from La Gomera, Spain.
Sponsors
Partners
For assistance with identifying fishes, see fishesofaustralia.net.au. For information on size and bag limits, check out the website of your State Fisheries Department.
We thank fishesofaustralia.net.au and Australia's various Fisheries Departments for some of the thumbnail images used to assist with fish identification on this website and its applications, as licensed for use under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia. Thanks also to Michigan State University and Georgia Aquarium for generous donation of xrays of some US fish species.
