Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Perciformes (Perch-likes) > Scombridae (Mackerels, tunas, bonitos) > Scombrinae
Etymology: Orcynopsis: Greek, orkynos, -ou = a kind of tunna + Greek, opsis = similar to (Ref. 45335).

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Marine; brackish; pelagic-neritic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243). Subtropical, preferred 19°C (Ref. 107945); 60°N - 13°S, 18°W - 36°E

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Eastern Atlantic: Oslo, Norway south to Dakar, Senegal but the range is centered in the southern Mediterranean Sea. Not known from Madeira, the Canary Islands or Cape Verde.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ?, range 70 - 80 cm
Max length : 130 cm FL male/unsexed; (Ref. 168); common length : 90.0 cm FL male/unsexed; (Ref. 168); max. published weight: 13.1 kg (Ref. 168)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 12 - 14; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12-15; Anal soft rays: 14 - 16. Mouth rather large, upper jaw reaching to hind margin of eye. Laminae of olfactory rosette 25 to 28. Interpelvic process small and bifid. Body naked behind the well developed corselet. Swim bladder absent. Vertebrae 17 or 18 precaudal plus 19 to 21 caudal, total 37 to 39. Anterior three quarters of first dorsal fin black.

Adults are neritic, confined primarily to temperate waters, but juveniles may be encountered in waters of up to 30°C. Form small schools at the surface so that the first dorsal fin stands out of the water like that of sharks, also frequently associated with birds. Feed on small fishes, especially sardines, anchovies, jacks, mackerel, bogue and others. Eggs and larvae are pelagic (Ref. 6769). Marketed canned or frozen.

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

A female weighing 5 or 6 kg may carry some 500 to 600,000 eggs which are spawned in portions.

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Collette, Bruce B. | Collaborators

Collette, B.B. and C.E. Nauen, 1983. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 2. Scombrids of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of tunas, mackerels, bonitos and related species known to date. Rome: FAO. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(2):137 p. (Ref. 168)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Least Concern (LC)

CITES (Ref. 94142)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes

FAO(fisheries: production; publication : search) | FisheriesWiki | Sea Around Us

More information

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Common names
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Eggs
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Age/Size
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Morphology
Larvae
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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Orcynopsis unicolor (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1817)