Euthynnus Lutken in Jordan and Gilbert, 1883
Large fish, body robust and fusiform. Gillrakers on first arch 29-45. 2 dorsal fins scparated by a narrow space (not wider than eye diameter); antcrior spincs in dorsal fin much higher than those midway, giving the fin a strongly concave outline; second dorsal fin much lower than first, followed by 8 finlets. Anal fin followed by 7 finlets. Pectoral fin short, 24-28 rays. Inter-pelvic process small and bifid. Body naked, except for the corselet and lateral line. Caudal peduncle with a prominent median keel between 2 small keels. Bony keels on caudal peduncle vertebrae well developed. Swimbladder absent. Intestine straight, without folds. Right lobe of liver much longer than left and middle lobes; prominent branches of the hepatic vein present on the ventral surface of all three lobes. Cutaneous artery present, ventral branch short and dendritic, much less developed than dorsal branch. Vertebrae 20 + 17 or 19 = 37 or 39. Vertebral trelliswork better developed than in Katsuwonus.
Habitat: epipelagic in coastal waters, near shoals and offshore islands. Schooling; less migratory than larger species of tunas. Food: mainly small fishes, such as clupeoids but also squids and crustaceans. Reproduction: extended spawning period, April-November. Eggs and larvae planktonic.
Distribution: a warm-water Atlantic species, found throughout the southern part of the area except in the Black Sea; rare north of the Iberian Peninsula; a few isolated catches from Scottish and Scandinavian coasts .
Species 3; in Clofnam area 1.
Recent revisions: Fraser-Brunner (1949); see also Godsil (1954) and Collette and Nauen (1983).
Species of this genus in the program:
Euthynnus alletteratus