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.
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.
Behavioural data for Plain bonito is currently being reviewed.
A female weighing 5 or 6 kg may carry some 500 to 600,000 eggs which are spawned in portions.
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.
small fishes, especially sardines, anchovies, jacks, mackerel, bogue and others
Use barbless hooks, minimise air exposure, and revive fish head-first in current before release.
⚠️ International management (ICCAT, WCPFC). Strict quotas and size limits.
| Year | Region | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
| 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 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 |
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 448 records indexed .
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