Tuna - Tunny
name: Tuna - Tunny
other names: Little Tuna, False Albacore, Bonito
The body of the little tunny is wider towards the center and tapers towards both ends. Coloration is a metallic light blue on the upper half with a pale silver underbelly. The upper back has wavy black lines and below the pectoral fin is a set of dark spots.
Little tunny travel in large schools as they migrate north and south in a seasonal pattern. Little tunny can reside in both inshore bays and reefs and offshore. Generally, they are found in waters up to about 500 feet deep.
Little tunny feed on small fish and crustaceans. Among their favored foods are round herring, Spanish sardine, round scad, squid and fish larvae. However, they will consume whatever is found in their environment at the time and eat almost 3 times their body weight each year.
Little tunny deposit their eggs in open water, where they are externally fertilized and allowed to float in the water unguarded. Although the season for spawning can occur anytime during the year, April to November appears to be the most active period in areas with water 100 to 300 feet deep. Females deposit eggs in batches when the water reaches the correct temperature.
Flocks of seabirds are usually evidence of a school of feeding tunny. Their speed makes them hard to catch and even harder to keep hooked. Anglers catch little tunny using many fishing techniques, including trolling, chumming, casting, drifting, surf casting, pier fishing and fly-fishing. Little tunny are willing to follow bait fish into the beach, attack natural baits such as mullet and ballyhoo, or artificial lures such as jigs and feathers. The most enjoyable tunny fishing is done with light tackle with no more than 10-pound line. Tunny also make great bait fish. The little tunny are good game fish because they are numerous along the Atlantic Coast and are a memorable fight on light tackle; however, because of their strong flavor they are not considered a good food fish. There is little or no commercial fishery directed at little tunny.
