Little tunny (Euthynnus alletteratus) is a saltwater, brackish species recorded in the United States. It is found at depths of 1–150 m.
Scientific name: Euthynnus alletteratus · Water: Saltwater, Brackish
Size: up to 122 cm
The little tunny is an oceanic scombrid found in neritic waters close inshore, and it is a schooling species and an opportunistic predator that feeds on virtually everything within its range, including crustaceans, mainly clupeoid fishes, squids, heteropods and tunicates. Its eggs and larvae are pelagic, and specialised traps are used for it in Tunisia and Morocco; diving bird flocks may indicate large schools. It is recorded from 1 to 150 m, and it also enters brackish water. Its range is the Atlantic Ocean in tropical and subtropical waters, including the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, and it is highly migratory. Maximum length is about 122 cm total length, commonly about 80 cm, and it can live ten years, maturing at about 41.8 cm. It is a commercial species and a popular game fish, utilized fresh, dried-salted, smoked, canned and frozen, with a medium price category. Fishing vulnerability is moderate at 41 of 100 and resilience medium, and climate vulnerability is moderate at 40 of 100. IUCN lists it as least concern.
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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