3a P 20-23% FL; caudal keels yellow; GR 32-36 .............. T. maccoyii
3b P 17-21 % FL; caudal keels dark; GR 38-44 ............... T. t. thynnus
4a C with narrow white rear margin; maximum body
depth at, or only slightly anterior to, 2nd D;
P usually 30% FL or longer, reaching well
beyond origin of 2nd D, usually to 2nd D
finlet; A finlets dark ............................................. T. alalunga
4b C without white margin; maximum body depth near
middle of 1st Dbase; P 22-31 % FL in fish over
110 cm FL, but much longer in smaller
specimens; A finlets bright yellow, narrowly
edged with black ..................................................... T. obesus
Albacore
249.14 Thunnus alalunga
(Bonnaterre, 1788)
Albakoor
Scomber alalunga Bonnaterre, 1788: 139 (Sardinia). Germo alalunga:
Smith, SFSA No. 836; Hecht & Hecht, 1978: 211 *. Thunnus alalunga: Talbot& Penrith, 1962: 558; 1963: 609; Talbot, 1964: 199*; Gibbs & Collette,
1967: 99; Talbot & Penrith, 1968: 12; Collette & Nauen, 1983: 81*.
D XII-XIV+13-16+7-9 finlets; A 13-15+7-9 finlets; P 31-36; GR
(7-10)+(19-21) = 26-31; vertebrae 18+21 = 39. Depth 3.7-4.1; head
3.3-3.5.
Attains 127 cm FL, common to 100 cm. The all-tackle
angling record is a 40 kg fish taken at the Canary Islands in
1977. Epipelagic and mesopelagic, oceanic. Also called
"long-finned tunny", this is the species marketed as whitemeat tuna. Known here primarily from long-line catches off
the western Cape region; schools have been found several
hundred miles west of Walvis Bay. Cosmopolitan between
45°-50 0 N and 30 0 -40 0 S.
249.14 Thunnusalalunga: 100 cm (after Collette, 1984).
249.15 Thunnus albacares
(Bonnaterre, 1788)
PLATE 131
Yellowfin tuna
Geelvin-tuna
Scomber albacares Bonnaterre, 1788: 140 (Jamaica). Germo albacora:
Smith, SFSA No. 835*. Germo itosibi: Smith, SFSA No. 834*. Thunnus
albacares: Talbot & Penrith, 1962: 558; 1963: 617; Talbot, 1964: 205*;
Smith & Smith, 1966: 76*; Gibbs & Collette, 1967: 102; Talbot & Penrith,
1968: 8; Collette & Nauen, 1983: 83*.
249: SCOMBRIDAE (TUNAS, MACKERELS & BONITOS)
D XII-XIV+13-16+8-1O finlets; A 12-15+7-10 finlets; P 33-36; GR
(7-9)+(20-23) = 27-32; vertebrae 18+21 = 39. Depth 3.8-4.5; head
3.2-3.5.
Belly frequently crossed by about 20 broken, nearly vertical lines of light spots; D and A and finlets bright yellow;
finlets with narrow black borders. Second D and A of some
adults become very long, and these fish were considered to
be a separate species, Neothunnus itosibi. Attains 200+ cm
FL. The all-tackle angling record is a 176.4 kg fish from the
west coast of Mexico taken in 1977. Epipelagic, oceanic,
above and below the thermocline. Abundant off Angola.
Found seasonally right round our coast; during summer
months large schools frequently congregate in the Agulhas
Bank area and off Cape Point and Gansbaai. An important
food-fish taken by long-line off the Cape and by anglers in
Natal. Worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas.
249.15 Thunnus albacares: sketch of 135 cm specimen from Providence Id. to
show elongation of fin lobes with growth.
249.16 Thunnus maccoyii
(Castelnau, 1872)
Southern bluefin tuna
Suidelike blouvin-tuna
Thynnus maccoyii Castelnau, 1872: 104 (Melbourne, Australia). Thunnus thynnus maccoyi: Talbot & Penrith, 1962: 558. Thunnus thynnus
orientalis (non Temminck & Schlegel): Talbot & Penrith, 1963: 630;
Talbot, 1964: 201* Thunnus maccoyii: Gibbs & Collette, 1967: 115;
Talbot & Penrith, 1968: 11; Collette & Nauen, 1983: 87*.
D XII-XIV+13-15+8-1O finlets; A 13-16+7-9 finlets; P 31-36; GR
10+(22-26) = 32-36. Depth 3.7-3.9; head 3.3-3.4.
Attains at least 225 cm FL. The all-tackle angling rec~rd
is a 158 kg fish from New Zealand taken in 1981. Epipelagic,
249.16 Thunnus maccoyii: ca. 200 cm (after Talbot, 1964).
837
3b P 17-21 % FL; caudal keels dark; GR 38-44 ............... T. t. thynnus
4a C with narrow white rear margin; maximum body
depth at, or only slightly anterior to, 2nd D;
P usually 30% FL or longer, reaching well
beyond origin of 2nd D, usually to 2nd D
finlet; A finlets dark ............................................. T. alalunga
4b C without white margin; maximum body depth near
middle of 1st Dbase; P 22-31 % FL in fish over
110 cm FL, but much longer in smaller
specimens; A finlets bright yellow, narrowly
edged with black ..................................................... T. obesus
Albacore
249.14 Thunnus alalunga
(Bonnaterre, 1788)
Albakoor
Scomber alalunga Bonnaterre, 1788: 139 (Sardinia). Germo alalunga:
Smith, SFSA No. 836; Hecht & Hecht, 1978: 211 *. Thunnus alalunga: Talbot& Penrith, 1962: 558; 1963: 609; Talbot, 1964: 199*; Gibbs & Collette,
1967: 99; Talbot & Penrith, 1968: 12; Collette & Nauen, 1983: 81*.
D XII-XIV+13-16+7-9 finlets; A 13-15+7-9 finlets; P 31-36; GR
(7-10)+(19-21) = 26-31; vertebrae 18+21 = 39. Depth 3.7-4.1; head
3.3-3.5.
Attains 127 cm FL, common to 100 cm. The all-tackle
angling record is a 40 kg fish taken at the Canary Islands in
1977. Epipelagic and mesopelagic, oceanic. Also called
"long-finned tunny", this is the species marketed as whitemeat tuna. Known here primarily from long-line catches off
the western Cape region; schools have been found several
hundred miles west of Walvis Bay. Cosmopolitan between
45°-50 0 N and 30 0 -40 0 S.
249.14 Thunnusalalunga: 100 cm (after Collette, 1984).
249.15 Thunnus albacares
(Bonnaterre, 1788)
PLATE 131
Yellowfin tuna
Geelvin-tuna
Scomber albacares Bonnaterre, 1788: 140 (Jamaica). Germo albacora:
Smith, SFSA No. 835*. Germo itosibi: Smith, SFSA No. 834*. Thunnus
albacares: Talbot & Penrith, 1962: 558; 1963: 617; Talbot, 1964: 205*;
Smith & Smith, 1966: 76*; Gibbs & Collette, 1967: 102; Talbot & Penrith,
1968: 8; Collette & Nauen, 1983: 83*.
249: SCOMBRIDAE (TUNAS, MACKERELS & BONITOS)
D XII-XIV+13-16+8-1O finlets; A 12-15+7-10 finlets; P 33-36; GR
(7-9)+(20-23) = 27-32; vertebrae 18+21 = 39. Depth 3.8-4.5; head
3.2-3.5.
Belly frequently crossed by about 20 broken, nearly vertical lines of light spots; D and A and finlets bright yellow;
finlets with narrow black borders. Second D and A of some
adults become very long, and these fish were considered to
be a separate species, Neothunnus itosibi. Attains 200+ cm
FL. The all-tackle angling record is a 176.4 kg fish from the
west coast of Mexico taken in 1977. Epipelagic, oceanic,
above and below the thermocline. Abundant off Angola.
Found seasonally right round our coast; during summer
months large schools frequently congregate in the Agulhas
Bank area and off Cape Point and Gansbaai. An important
food-fish taken by long-line off the Cape and by anglers in
Natal. Worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas.
249.15 Thunnus albacares: sketch of 135 cm specimen from Providence Id. to
show elongation of fin lobes with growth.
249.16 Thunnus maccoyii
(Castelnau, 1872)
Southern bluefin tuna
Suidelike blouvin-tuna
Thynnus maccoyii Castelnau, 1872: 104 (Melbourne, Australia). Thunnus thynnus maccoyi: Talbot & Penrith, 1962: 558. Thunnus thynnus
orientalis (non Temminck & Schlegel): Talbot & Penrith, 1963: 630;
Talbot, 1964: 201* Thunnus maccoyii: Gibbs & Collette, 1967: 115;
Talbot & Penrith, 1968: 11; Collette & Nauen, 1983: 87*.
D XII-XIV+13-15+8-1O finlets; A 13-16+7-9 finlets; P 31-36; GR
10+(22-26) = 32-36. Depth 3.7-3.9; head 3.3-3.4.
Attains at least 225 cm FL. The all-tackle angling rec~rd
is a 158 kg fish from New Zealand taken in 1981. Epipelagic,
249.16 Thunnus maccoyii: ca. 200 cm (after Talbot, 1964).
837