General Information

COMMON NAMES: Albacore Tuna, Germon, Longfin Tuna, Long-finned Tuna; French Ara Lunga, Germon TRADITIONAL NAMES: To‘evere (RR PL), To‘everi (MG AK), Atava (AT), ‘A‘ai / To‘everi (MK), Tavere (MT), Kakasi (TS TW), Tuava (MH), Teni (PK); Other Polynesian - Aahi Taria (TAH) GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE circumtropical - temperate zones (except adj. equator) (to 45°S) COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; S.Group - rare; N.Group - rare; Marine, pelagic 0-600m SIGNIFICANCE LIST: The main tuna of the Cook Islands longline fishery.; Poisonous if stored poorly KEY FEATURES: To 120cm FL and 30kg. Fusiform, round, elongate; with very small scales. Dark blue above and silvery below. 1st Dorsal yellow; 2nd Dorsal yellwoish, clearly shorter than 1st; finlets yellowish. Pectorals long and straplike; >30% for 50+cm FL. Finlets yellowish; tail grey with WHITE REAR MARGIN. SIMILAR SPECIES: See under Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares).

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

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

Northern Group:
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
			P

Thunnus alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788)
SYNONYMS: Germo alalunga; Scomber alalunga [O]; Thunnus alalonga[misspelling]; Thunnus germo

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

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: The main tuna of the Cook Islands longline fishery.. Comments: During 1995 two longliner boats harvested 137 mt in the Southern Group: 21% albacore, 10% bigeye, 14% yellowfin, 22% marlin, 20% swordfish, 6% Mahimahi, 1% Wahoo and 1% Spearfish (data MMR 2000). In 2003 this species was 60-70% of total Cook Islands longline catch (CINews 9/Aug/03).
NEGATIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Poisonous if stored poorly

GENERAL NOTE: Relatively slow growing, reaching breeding maturity at 4-5 years when about 90cm; and can grow to 120cm. Juvenile fish of about 2 years old are typically caught around Sub-Tropical Convergence Zone (STCZ) at around 40degS. They seem to make seasonal migrations into the tropics and spawn between 10-25deg.S. They also migrate vertically, from surface to 400m depending on thermocline and oxygen concentration. Smaller surface fishes (50-80cm FL) by pole-and-line, purse-seining and trolling; larger fishes (90-120cm) by longline. The tropical South Pacific fishery is mainly August to February. (Josh Mitchell, CINew 9/Aug/03)

Vouchers:
Palmerston: Listed (Preston95). Pukapuka: fieldspecimen+photo, 3/2004, K.Salisbury with ID as Thunnus alalunga.

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.2:81.

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 96-07 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....
Species No. 342 Munro (1967) Fishes of New Guinea

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

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