Australian bonito

Taxobox
name = Australian bonito


image_caption = Drawing by Dr Tony Ayling
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Perciformes
familia = Scombridae
genus = "Sarda"
species = "S. australis"
binomial = "Sarda australis"
binomial_authority = Macleay, 1881

The Australian bonito, horse mackerel or little bonito, "Sarda australis", a fish of the family Scombridae, is found around eastern Australia and New Zealand in depths to about 30 m (98 ft), in open water. Its length is up to 1.8 m (6 ft), and weight over 9 kg (19.8 lbs).

The Australian bonito could possibly be mistaken for the skipjack tuna, except that the front part of the dorsal fin is low, and the horizontal stripes are on the back not on the belly as is the case with the Skipjack. The stripe background colour is blue-green, with silver-grey on the belly.

This species of tuna does not maintain a high body temperature and swims relatively slowly, cruising at only 1.5 knots with a maximum speed of only convert|7|kn|km/h. It also does not have a swimbladder.

The flesh has a delicate flavour and cans well.

References

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* Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, "Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand", (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 978-0-00-216987-5