Field Identification of Tunas from Indian Waters

The Family Scombridae is one of the largest and most economically important fish family which comprises of most advanced scombroid fishes such as mackerels, tunas and bonitos with 54 valid species in 15 genera (Collette et al., 2001). Among them, tunas are one of the important food fishes exploited all over the world. Altogether 9 species in 6 genera are contributing to the Indian tuna fisheries. Indian tunas are classified into two categories such as (i) Coastal tuna and (ii) Oceanic tuna. Euthynnus affinis, Auxis thazard, A. rochei, and Sarda orientalis are considered as coastal tuna where as Thunnus albacares, T. obesus, T. tonggol, Katsuwonus pelamis, and Gymnosarda unicolor are mostly oceanic in nature.