Dogtooth tuna

Appearance

"Gymnosarda unicolor" can reach a length of 190–248 centimetres in males. and a weight of 130 kg. The average size commonly observed is around 40 to 120 cm. They have 12-14 dorsal soft rays and 12-13 anal soft rays. The lateral line is strongly undulating. These large size tunas have a streamline shape and a distinctive body coloration: brilliant blue green on the back, silvery on the side and whitish on the belly, with two white tips on the two back fins close to its caudal peduncle. They are always swimming with open jaws. The upper jaw of the large mouth reaches the eye.

Distribution

The Dogtooth tuna is widespread throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific area from the eastern coast of Africa, Red Sea included, to French Polynesia and oceanic islands of the Pacific Ocean, north to Japan, south to Australia.

Habitat

These offshore fishes can be found mainly in reef environments with smaller fish being more commonly found near shallow reef areas and larger ones haunting deep reef drop off areas, seamounts and steep underwater walls. Usually they are solitary or occur in small schools, to a depth of 10–300 metres.

The dogtooth tuna is one of the apex non-pelagic predators in its environment, sharing that position with Giant Trevally, Napoleon Wrasse, and large groupers, as well as reef, bull and tiger sharks.

These aggressive opportunistic predators feed on small schooling fishes and squids, and are capable of taking a wide variety of prey items. In most areas, the mainstay of its diet probably consists of pelagic schooling fish found near reef habitat.