Species: Auxis thazard, Frigate Mackerel, Frigate Tuna

Auxis thazard (Lacepede, 1800)

Frigate Mackerel, Frigate Tuna

Body elongate, rounded; no fatty eyelid; jaw teeth slender, conical; top of tongue with 2 ridges; 2 dorsal fins widely separated; 1st dorsal X-XII spines; ~8 finlets behind 2nd dorsal fin, ~7 behind anal fin; a single-pointed, long, bony process between pelvic fins; pectoral fins short, not reaching a vertical line from anterior margin of scaleless area on back; 1 large + 2 small keels on tail base; tail fin deeply forked; 1 lateral line; a well developed corselet of scales on front of body, rear extension of corselet is narrow (1-5 scales wide under 2nd dorsal fin).

Back dark bluish; a patch of 15 or more narrow, oblique to nearly horizontal dark wavy lines in scaleless area above lateral line, patch begins under 1st dorsal and over pectoral fin; belly white.

Size: to 68 cm; 1.6 kg.

Inhabits coastal and oceanic waters, sometimes forming large schools.

Depth: 0-200 m.

Worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas except in the eastern Pacific (where it is replaced by the subspecies A. thazard brachydorax), New York to Argentina.