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Species: Euthynnus alletteratus, Little tunny, Little Tunny Tuna

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D1 XII-XVI, front high
D1 & 2 touch at base
rear back: oblique bars
front belly black spots
no scales behind front corselet of heavy scales
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This Species (6) This Genus (1) Similar Species (3)

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Euthynnus alletteratus (Rafinesque, 1810)

Little tunny

Elongate, fusiform; no fatty eyelid; jaw teeth slender, conical; top of tongue with 2 cartilaginous crests; 19-45 gill rakers; 1st dorsal fin, XII-XVI, front spines much higher than those behind, giving the fin a strongly concave outline; 2 dorsal fins barely separated; 2nd dorsal much lower than first; 8 rear dorsal finlets and 7 anal finlets; bone between base of pelvic fins short, forked; pectoral fins short, reaching to about level of middle spines of first dorsal fin, 25-29 rays; 1 large + 2 small keels on tail base; tail fin deeply forked; 1 lateral line; a corselet of large, thickened scales on front body, body scaleless behind corselet.

Dark blue on back with an elongate patch of oblique black stripes on back extending forward to below anterior part of first dorsal fin; lower sides and belly silvery white; 3-7 dark spots usually present on lower sides between pelvic and pectoral fins.

Size: to 122 cm, 16.5 kg.

Habitat: forms schools in coastal waters, particularly areas with swift currents.

Depth: 1-150 m.

Tropical and subtropical Atlantic and Mediterranean; New England to central Brazil.

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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Offshore
  • In & Offshore
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Mid Water
  • Water column only
  • Surface
  • Near Surface
Habitat
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Water column
FishBase Habitat
  • Reef Associated
  • Pelagic
Feeding Group
  • Data
  • Carnivore
  • Planktivore
Diet
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
  • Sponges/seasquirts/bryozoa
  • Zooplankton
  • Data
  • Bony fishes
Egg Type
  • Pelagic
  • Data
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • All species.
  • Transatlantic (East+West Atlantic)
Regional Endemism
  • Extends North of GC
  • Continent
  • Extends South of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • Extends N + S of GC
  • All species..
  • Also in Brazil
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Island (s)
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Temperate (>35N)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 122
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 150