Little tunny
| Little tunny | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Scombridae |
| Genus: | Euthynnus |
| Species: | E. alletteratus |
| Binomial name | |
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Euthynnus alletteratus (Rafinesque, 1810) |
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| Range of the little tunny | |
The little tunny (Euthynnus alletteratus) is the most common tuna in the Atlantic Ocean. It is found in warm temperate and tropical waters of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean; in the western Atlantic, it ranges from Brazil to the New England states. It is found regularly in offshore and inshore waters, and is classified as a highly migratory species by UNCLOS. Occurring in large schools and weighing up to 36 lb, it is one of the smaller members of the tuna Scombridae family, and is one of the finest small game-fish in the Atlantic.
Commonly called false albacore or little tuna, it resembles the Atlantic bonito, skipjack tuna, and species of mackerel. The little tunny feeds primarily on pelagic fish. It is best identified by the dark spots appearing between its pectoral and ventral fins and "worm-like" markings on its back. Commercially, the fish is used as bait for sharks and marlin due to its high oil content and hook retention. It is considered by many to be a trash fish because of its limited nutritional value; ciguatera poisoning related to its consumption has even been reported. However, the little tunny is commercially important in many locations, including the West Indies. It is marketed fresh, dried, canned, smoked, and frozen. It is sought-after as a sport fish due to its line-stripping 64 km/h (40 mph) runs and hard fighting ability when hooked. By trolling with lures near reefs, it can be caught on hook and line.
Constantine Samuel Rafinesque identified the little tunny in 1810 and gave the fish its current name: Euthynnus alletteratus. Synonyms for used for the name include E. alleteratus alleteratus, E. alliteratus, E. thunina, and E. alletteratus aurolitoralis. The little tunny is not part of the Thunnus genus like many tuna, but it is part of the Thunnini tribe.
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Wikipedia