Species: Auxis thazard thazard, Frigate mackerel, Frigate tuna


Auxis thazard thazard (Lacepede, 1800)
Frigate tuna, Frigate mackerel
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.
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.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
-
- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
-
- In & Offshore
- Inshore
- Offshore
- Water Column Position
-
- Water column only
- Surface
- Near Surface
- Mid Water
- Habitat
-
- Water column
- FishBase Habitat
-
- Pelagic
- Feeding Group
-
- Carnivore
- Planktivore
- Data
- Diet
-
- Bony fishes
- Zooplankton
- Data
- Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
- Egg Type
-
- Data
- Pelagic larva
- Pelagic
- Global Endemism
-
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- All species.
- Circumtropical ( Indian + Pacific + Atlantic Oceans)
- Regional Endemism
-
- Extends North of GC
- Continent
- Extends South of GC
- Extends N + S of GC
- Continent + Island (s)
- Also in Brazil
- All species..
- GC non-endemic
- Island (s)
- Residency
-
- Resident
- Climate Zone
-
- Temperate (>35N)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
-
- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
-
- 68
- Depth Range Min
-
- 0
- Depth Range Max
-
- 200