General Information

COMMON NAMES: Skipjack Tuna, Bonito, Oceanic Bonito, Striped Tuna [Latin thynnus/thunnus, to ancient European Tunny, to modern Tuna]; French Bonite a Ventre Raye TRADITIONAL NAMES: ‘Au‘opu (RR MG MK MT), Au‘opu (AT), Au‘opu / ‘O‘opu (AK), Atu (PL), Atu / Atu < Toheveli (TS), Atu / Atu < Toheveri (TW), Atu / Atukapuku (MH), Atu / Atu < Ngāngono (PK); Other Polynesian - Auhopu (TAH) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE cirumtropics - subtropics (to 47° S) COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group and N.Group. More common in N.Group. PLUS:; Marine, pelagic 0-250m; Strong schooling tuna, associated with birds, drifting objects and other tuna. SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Good food. Common (Nov-Apr).; Poisonous to eat if stored poorly KEY FEATURES: To 100cm and 30kg. Body fusiform, round and elongate; naked, except for forward corselet. Topside purplish-blue; sides and underside silvery; 4-6 stripes on lower-half of sides. 1st Dorsal long forward but mainly low, small gap to 2nd Dorsal.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present    Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
	P		^P		^P	P

Northern Group: Present
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
			P		P

Katsuwonus pelamis (Linnaeus, 1758)
SYNONYMS: Euthynnus pelamis; Gymnosarda pelamis; Scomber pelamis [O]; Thinnus pelamis; Thynnus pelamis

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; OSTEICHTHYES; Perciformes; Scombroidei; SCOMBRIDAE, Thunnini

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Good food. Common (Nov-Apr).. Comments: Important in artisanal fishery and in oceanic commercial fishery.
NEGATIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Poisonous to eat if stored poorly

GENERAL NOTE: In 1980s made up about 40% of world tuna fishery, by purse seines and pole-and-line (often using bait-fish), and incidently on long-lines.

Vouchers:
Mauke: fieldspecimen, College, 3/2001, ID GMcC. Aitutaki: field-specimen, NBSAP School, 12/2000, ID GM. Palmerston: Listed (Preston95). Pukapuka: informant reports at NBSAP meeting, 2/2004. Suwarrow: field ID N.Sims (Sims EIA99).

References:
Special Reference: Collette, B.B. & C.E. Nauen, FAO species catalogue. Vol. 2. Scombrids of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of tunas, mackerels, bonitos and related species known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. (125)Vol.2:42.

p.445 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.602 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 96-12 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....
Species No. 345 Munro (1967) Fishes of New Guinea

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zD02

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