Dogtooth tuna

Dogtooth tuna
Gymnosarda unicolor from French Polynesia
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Scombriformes
Family:	Scombridae
Genus:	Gymnosarda Gill , 1862
Species:	G. unicolor
Binomial name
Gymnosarda unicolor (Rüppell, 1836)
Synonyms[1][2]
List Gymnosarda nuda (Günther, 1860) Pelamys nud a Günther, 1860 Scomber vau Curtiss, 1938 Thynnus unicolor Rüppell, 1836

The dogtooth tuna (Gymnosarda unicolor), also known as white tuna, is a

Ecology

These offshore fishes can be found mainly in reef environments^[3][5] with smaller fish being more commonly found near shallow reef areas and larger ones haunting deep reef drop off areas, seamounts and steep underwater walls. Usually they are solitary or occur in small schools,^[3] to a depth of 10 to 300 metres (33 to 984 ft).^[1]

The dogtooth tuna is one of the apex non-pelagic predators in its environment, sharing that position with giant trevally, Napoleon wrasse, and large groupers, as well as large sharks such as reef, bull and tiger sharks.^{[citation needed]}

These aggressive opportunistic

Preliminary estimates of longevity indicate a maximum observed age of at least 20 years. [7]

Fishing

These fishes are usually marketed canned and frozen. Adults may be ciguatoxic.^[3] The dogtooth tuna is appreciated in most of its range as a fine food fish and also as a game fish sought by both rod and reel anglers and spearfishermen. Dogtooth tuna used to be mostly taken as an incidental catch by anglers trolling for other gamefish - with natural baits for black marlin, for instance, or with lures for wahoo and Spanish (narrowbarred) mackerel. In the last 10 to 15 years^[when?] there has been more dedicated effort directed at this species because of its rarity and sporting qualities. Dogtooth tuna are now a highly coveted prize by many European and Asian sports anglers. Large specimens are seldom found where there is significant fishing pressure and can be one of the most difficult gamefish to capture.^{[citation needed]}

Their habit of making high-speed downward runs when hooked, even on heavy tackle, often sees the line being cut as it contacts deep bottom structure. Sharks frequently mutilate both hooked and speared fish during the later stages of the fight, adding to the difficulty in landing them. The majority of dogtooth tuna captures have tended to be made by trolling with dead and live baits or with lures, particularly deep-swimming plugs.^[8]

These techniques are still often used, with one niche specialty being the use of live bait such as rainbow runners to tease dogtooth tuna within range of light tackle and fly-casting anglers. High speed jigging with a variety of metal lures has increased tremendously in popularity in the last several years as advancements in tackle technology have resulted in lightweight rods and reels that are capable of handling heavy spectra-type braided lines. Some of the more popular destinations for anglers seeking this species include

External links

Wikispecies has information related to Dogtooth tuna.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gymnosarda unicolor.

• "Gymnosarda unicolor". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 18 April 2006.
• Photos of Dogtooth tuna on Sealife Collection