Distribution:

Western Atlantic: Canada, Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea to Venezuela and Brazil. Eastern Atlantic: Lofoten I. off Norway to Canary I., including the Mediterranean and the southern part of the Black Sea. Reported from Mauritania. There is a subpopulation off South Africa.

Diagnosis:

Dorsal spines (total): 12-14; Dorsal softrays (total): 13-15; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft-rays: 13-16; Vertebrates: 39-39. A very large species, deepest near the middle of the first dorsal fin base. The second dorsal fin higher than the first; the pectoral fins are very short, less than 80% of head length. Swimbladder present. Lower sides and belly silvery white with colorless transverse lines alternated with rows of colorless dots. The first dorsal fin is yellow or bluish; the second reddish-brown; the anal fin and finlets dusky yellow and edged with black; the median caudal keel is black in adults.

Biology:

Oceanic but seasonally coming close to shore and can tolerate a wide range of temperatures. They school by size, sometimes together with albacore, yellowfin, bigeye, skipjack etc. Prey on small schooling fishes (anchovies, sauries, hakes) or on squids and red crabs. Commercially cultured in Japan. Utilized fresh for sashimi, also canned. Become rare because of massive overfishing.

Max. size: 458.0 cm

Max.weight: 684 Kg

Environment: pelagic; depth range 0 - 100 m

Climate: subtropical; 70°N - 40°S

Canary Islands country information: Name: Patudo