Scombridae

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Scombridae
Yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Scombridae
Subfamilies
Gasterochismatinae Scombrinae

Scombridae is the family of the mackerels, tunas, and bonitos, and thus includes many of the most important and familiar food fishes. The family consists of about 55 species in 15 genera and two subfamilies. All species are Scombrinae, except Butterfly kingfish - which is the sole member of subfamily Gasterochismatinae.

Scombrids have two dorsal fins, and a series of finlets between the rear dorsal fin and behind the anal fin. The caudal fin is strongly divided and rigid, with a slender, ridged, base. The first (spiny) dorsal fin and the pelvic fins are normally retracted into body grooves. Species length varies from the 20 cm length of the island mackerel to the 458 cm recorded for the immense northern bluefin tuna.

Scombrids are generally predators of the open ocean, and are found worldwide in tropical and temperate waters. They are capable of considerable speed, due to a highly streamlined body and retractable fins. Some members of the family, in particular the tunas, are notable for being endothermic (warm-blooded), a feature that also helps them to maintain high speed and activity. Other adaptations include a large amount of red muscle, allowing them to maintain activity over long periods. The fastest recorded scombrid is the wahoo, which can attain speeds of 75 kilometres per hour (47 mph).^[1]

Contents 1 Classification 2 Popular culture 3 See also 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Classification

Jordan, Evermann and Clark (1930) divide these fishes into the four families Cybiidae, Katsuwonidae, Scombridae, and Thunnidae,^[2] but this article follows FishBase in placing them in the single family Scombridae.^[3]

There are about fifty species in fourteen genera:

Family Scombridae

• Subfamily Gasterochismatinae
  • Genus Gasterochisma
    • Butterfly kingfish, Gasterochisma melampus Richardson, 1845
• Subfamily Scombrinae
  • Genus Acanthocybium
    • Wahoo, Acanthocybium solandri (Cuvier, 1832).
  • Genus Allothunnus
    • Slender tuna, Allothunnus fallai Serventy, 1948.
  • Genus Auxis
    • Auxis rochei eudorax Collette & Aadland, 1996
    • Bullet tuna, Auxis rochei rochei (Rafinesque, 1810)
    • Auxis thazard brachydorax Collette & Aadland, 1996
    • Frigate tuna, Auxis thazard thazard (Lacepède, 1800)
  • Genus Cybiosarda
    • Leaping bonito, Cybiosarda elegans (Whitley, 1935).
  • Genus Euthynnus
    • Kawakawa, Euthynnus affinis (Cantor, 1849).
    • Little tunny, Euthynnus alletteratus (Rafinesque, 1810).
    • Black skipjack, Euthynnus lineatus Kishinouye, 1920.
  • Genus Grammatorcynus
    • Shark mackerel, Grammatorcynus bicarinatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825).
    • Double-lined mackerel, Grammatorcynus bilineatus (Rüppell, 1836).
  • Genus Gymnosarda
    • Dogtooth tuna, Gymnosarda unicolor (Rüppell, 1836).
  • Genus Katsuwonus
    • Skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis (Linnaeus, 1758).
  • Genus Orcynopsis
    • Plain bonito, Orcynopsis unicolor (Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1817).
  • Genus Rastrelliger
    • Short mackerel, Rastrelliger brachysoma (Bleeker, 1851).
    • Island mackerel, Rastrelliger faughni Matsui, 1967.
    • Indian mackerel, Rastrelliger kanagurta (Cuvier, 1816).
  • Genus Sarda
    • Australian bonito, Sarda australis (Macleay, 1881).
    • Eastern Pacific bonito, Sarda chiliensis chiliensis (Cuvier, 1832).
    • Pacific bonito, Sarda chiliensis lineolata (Girard, 1858).
    • Striped bonito, Sarda orientalis (Temminck & Schlegel, 1844).
    • Atlantic bonito, Sarda sarda (Bloch, 1793).
  • Genus Scomber
    • Blue mackerel, Scomber australasicus Cuvier, 1832.
    • Atlantic chub mackerel, Scomber colias Gmelin, 1789.
    • Chub mackerel, Scomber japonicus Houttuyn, 1782.
    • Atlantic mackerel, Scomber scombrus Linnaeus, 1758.
  • Genus Scomberomorus
    • Serra Spanish mackerel, Scomberomorus brasiliensis Collette, Russo & Zavala-Camin, 1978.
    • King mackerel, Scomberomorus cavalla (Cuvier, 1829).
    • Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel, Scomberomorus commerson (Lacépède, 1800).
    • Monterrey Spanish mackerel, Scomberomorus concolor (Lockington, 1879).
    • Indo-Pacific king mackerel, Scomberomorus guttatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801).
    • Korean seerfish, Scomberomorus koreanus (Kishinouye, 1915).
    • Streaked seerfish, Scomberomorus lineolatus (Cuvier, 1829).
    • Atlantic Spanish mackerel, Scomberomorus maculatus (Couch, 1832).
    • Papuan seerfish, Scomberomorus multiradiatus Munro, 1964.
    • Australian spotted mackerel, Scomberomorus munroi Collette & Russo, 1980.
    • Japanese Spanish mackerel, Scomberomorus niphonius (Cuvier, 1832).
    • Kanadi kingfish, Scomberomorus plurilineatus Fourmanoir, 1966.
    • Queensland school mackerel, Scomberomorus queenslandicus Munro, 1943.
    • Cero mackerel, Scomberomorus regalis (Bloch, 1793).
    • Broadbarred king mackerel, Scomberomorus semifasciatus (Macleay, 1883).
    • Pacific sierra, Scomberomorus sierra Jordan & Starks, 1895.
    • Chinese seerfish, Scomberomorus sinensis (Lacépède, 1800).
    • West African Spanish mackerel, Scomberomorus tritor (Cuvier, 1832).
  • Genus Thunnus
    • Albacore, Thunnus alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788).
    • Yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares (Bonnaterre, 1788).
    • Blackfin tuna, Thunnus atlanticus (Lesson, 1831).
    • Southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii (Castelnau, 1872).
    • Bigeye tuna, Thunnus obesus (Lowe, 1839).
    • Pacific bluefin tuna, Thunnus orientalis (Temminck & Schlegel, 1844).
    • Northern bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus (Linnaeus, 1758).
    • Longtail tuna, Thunnus tonggol (Bleeker, 1851).

[edit] Popular culture

Upon winning the 2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee, champion Evan M. O'Dorney appeared on CNN with Kiran Chetry. Chetry challenged the boy to spell the word "Scombridae," and O'Dorney failed in his attempt, citing a supposed mispronunciation as cause of his failure. Since then, the video has surfaced online, becoming something of an internet fad and introducing the word Scombridae into mainstream vernacular.

[edit] See also

• Scombroid poisoning

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Scombridae