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🌊 Marine Least Concern 🎣 Game Fish 🌡️ Subtropical 🎣 Game Fish

Plain bonito

Orcynopsis unicolor Hilaire, 1817
Max Length
130 cm
Max Weight
13.1 kg
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
4.5
Depth
4–30 m
Climate
Subtropical
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
60.00/100
Typical Length
90 cm
Depth Zone
pelagic

📖 Overview

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 . Marketed canned or frozen. Maximum depth reported taken from Ref. 138935.

Scientific Name
Orcynopsis unicolor
Authority
Hilaire, 1817
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Subtropical
Body Shape
Fusiform / normal
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
130 cm
Max Weight
13.1 kg
Depth Range
4–30 m
Latitude
13°S – 60°N
Trophic Level
4.5
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
60.00/100
Migration
Oceanodromous
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🐟 Physical Description

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.: fusiform / normal; Cross section: oval.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Plain bonito is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

small fish
crustaceans
cephalopods

🥚 Reproduction

Size at Maturity
75cm TL
Fecundity
500–600,000eggs

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

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; brackish; pelagic-neritic; oceanodromous ; depth range 4 - 30 m . Subtropical; 60°N - 13°S, 18°W - 36°E south to Dakar, Senegal but the range is centered in the southern Mediterranean Sea.

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine 🌿 Brackish 🐟 Pelagic
Migration
Oceanodromous
Trophic Level
4.5±0.8
🐠 Schooling
Food Items

small fishes, especially sardines, anchovies, jacks, mackerel, bogue and others

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.00933 × L3.06 (TL)
Max TL
130cm
Max FL
90cm
Max Weight
13,100g
Dorsal Spines
13
Dorsal Rays
14
Anal Rays
15

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2022

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Medium
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
60.00/100
High vulnerability
Trophic Level
4.5
Apex / Top predator
Body Shape
Fusiform / normal
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Latitude Range
60°N – 13°S
Described By
Hilaire, 1817

🎣 Angling Guide

Difficulty
Advanced
Fight Rating
blistering runs; among the most powerful fish in the ocean
Best Seasons
summer,fall
Best Time
first light
Line Weight
30-130
Rod Type
heavy trolling
Hook Size
7/0-12/0
Catch & Release
✓ Recommended
Best Months
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Techniques
trolling chunking live bait popping jigging
Bait & Lures
skirted trolling lures ballyhoo live baitfish poppers vertical jigs
Recommended Tackle
  • heavy 30-80 lb class trolling rod
  • conventional reel
  • 80-130 lb wind-on leader
Where to Find Them
  • temperature breaks
  • floating debris
  • current edges
  • offshore seamounts
Tips & Tricks
Watch birds for schooling fish. Use circle hooks for catch-and-release.
Catch & Release Tips

Use barbless hooks, minimise air exposure, and revive fish head-first in current before release.

Regulations Summary

⚠️ International management (ICCAT, WCPFC). Strict quotas and size limits.

📊 Population Dynamics

Year Region Index Notes
- - -

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Language Common Names
🇬🇧English Bonito · Plain Bonito
🌍CES tuňák jednobarvý
🌍CYM Bonitoau Unlliw · bonito unlliw
🇩🇰Danish Ustribet pelamide · Uskumruvonozu baliği
🇩🇪German Einfarb-Pelamide · Unechter bonito · Ungestreifter Pelamide · Bonito
🌍ELL Organo · Palamída · Ορκυνοπαλαμίδα
🇫🇮Finnish Juovaton sarda · silosarda
🇫🇷French Bonite Palomette · Bonite Plate · Palomette · Palomète
🇭🇷Croatian Pastirica atlantska
🇭🇺Hungarian karcsú palamida
🇮🇹Italian Palamita · Palamita bianca · Palamitu
🌍MLT Plamtu · Plamtu bla rigi
🇳🇱Dutch Boniter · Bonito · ongestreepte bonito
🌍NNO ustripa pelamide
🌍NOB ustripet pelamide
🇳🇴Norwegian Ustripet pelamide · Ustribet pelamide
🇵🇱Polish Oracoli · Orcyn
🇵🇹Portuguese Bonito-unicolor · Palmeta · Palombeta · Palometa
🌍RON Palamida argintie · Palometa
🇷🇺Russian Ocialon · Odnotsvetnyj Bonito · Palometa · Одноцветный бонито
🇪🇸Spanish Tasarte · Tasarte Ojon
🌍SRP Pastirica atlantska
🇸🇪Swedish Ostrimmad pelamid · ostrimmig pelamid · Ørnefisk
🌍TUR Akpalamut baliği · ak palamut
🇨🇳Chinese 平鰹

Scientific Synonyms

Scientific Name Author Year Status
Cybium altipinne Guichenot 1861 Synonym
Cybium bonapartii Verany 1847 Synonym
Pelamichthys unicolor Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1817 Synonym
Pelamys unicolor Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1817 Synonym
Sarda unicolor Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1817 Synonym
Scomber unicolor Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 1817 Homotypic
Thynnus peregrinus Collett 1879 Synonym

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 448 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

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