Despite it's name this species really belongs to the bonito family and not the tuna. It gets it's name from it's stocky tunalike body rather than it's bloodline. It's coloration varies from dark green to blue above shading to silvery below. It' most common characteristic is the scattering of large black spots below the mid-line between the short pectorals and ventral fins. They are common in Texas water from offshore to fairly close to shore in large schools. Diet consist mostly of small baitfish which they ransack in their fast moving schools on the prowl of the coast. Taken mostly by trolling with jigs they are hard hitters and once one is hung there should be a couple of more in the near vicinity. Not sought after for their meat which is very oily. They do make excellent cut bait for trolling of other bigger game fish species such as kings, wahoo, and dolphins. And because of the oiliness they also make excellent chum.
State Records: 27 pounds Freeport
July 1969
Eddie Groth, Lake Jackson
World Record: 35 pounds, 2 ounces Cap de Garde, Algeria
December 14, 1988
Jean Yves Chatard