Dogtooth tuna (Gymnosarda unicolor) is a saltwater species recorded in Taiwan. It is mainly found over reef, at depths of 0–250 m.
Scientific name: Gymnosarda unicolor · Water: Saltwater
Size: up to 248 cm
The dogtooth tuna is a scombrid of offshore coral reefs. It is usually solitary or in small schools of six or fewer, and feeds on small schooling fishes and squids. It is caught mainly by pole-and-line and mostly marketed canned and frozen. Its range runs from the Red Sea and East Africa in the Indo-Pacific to French Polynesia, north to Japan and south to Australia, recorded from 31°N to 30°S and 32°E to 130°W. Maximum length is about 248 cm fork length, commonly about 190 cm, and it can weigh up to 131 kg. It is a tropical species at 20 to 28°C, found from 0 to 250 m. It is taken by minor commercial fishing and is a game fish, sold at a high price. Trophic level is 4.5, fishing vulnerability high to very high at 73 of 100, and resilience low. IUCN lists it as least concern. Large individuals carry a ciguatera risk in some areas.
Caution: large individuals carry a ciguatera risk. Heat, cold and marinating do not remove the toxin, which concentrates in the liver, roe and head, so avoid eating those parts. Seek medical help if numbness, tingling or a reversed sense of hot and cold follows a meal.
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