Euthynnus Alletteratus

Also known as Bonito the Euthynnus Alletteratusis probably the most common tuna that is seen in the Atlantic Ocean. You can find it in the warm and tropical waters of areas like Atlantic, Mediterranean, Brazil and New England states. Considered to be a high migratory species it weighs around 36 pounds and mostly the lightest of all species present.

You can identify the Euthynnus Alletteratusby the dark spots that can be seen on its ventral and pectoral fins. It also has some worm-like markings on its back which is easy to identify. Since the fish has sufficient oil content and sticks well to the hook it is often used as a bait for the larger fishes. However, due to its dark colour, many people do not consider it worth eating.

But in the rest parts of the world like the West Indies, the Euthynnus Alletteratusis used in dried, smoked, and frozen form. Its body size is short in comparison to the other tuna fish and that is why probably the name is given. The Euthynnus Alletteratushas a compact and streamlined body and its snout is small as compared to the head. Maximum Euthynnus Alletteratuscan reach a weight of 12 kgs though its average weight lies around 7 kg.