Untitled - Alaska Resources Library

168
Scomber japonicus Houttuyn, 1782. Chub Mackerel, Pacific Chub Mackerel, or Pacific Mackerel. To nearly
63.5 cm (25 in) TL (Fitch 1956). Pacific and Indian oceans; in western Pacific as far north as Japan
(Collette and Nauen 1983), southern Kuril Islands (Savinykh 1998), and southeastern Kamchatka
(Sheiko and Fedorov 2000); western Gulf of Alaska (Mecklenburg et al. 2002) to Gulf of California
(Castro Hernández and Santana Ortega 2000) and Panama to Chile, including Islas Galápagos (Collette
and Nauen 1983). Apparently absent from southern Mexico to northern Panama (Robertson and Allen
2002). Coastal pelagic to epipelagic or mesopelagic over continental slope, surface to depth of about
300 m (984 ft; Collette and Nauen 1983), sometimes near shore in surf zone (C. Valle, pers. comm. to
M. L.). Previously treated as conspecific with Scomber colias Gmelin, 1789, of the Atlantic (Collette 1999,
2003).
Scomberomorus concolor (Lockington, 1879). Gulf Sierra or Monterey Spanish Mackerel. To 87 cm (34.2 in)
TL (Robertson and Allen 2002). Soquel, Monterey Bay, central California to Gulf of California (Miller
and Lea 1972) to central Mexico (Robertson and Allen 2002). Neritic epipelagic, to 15 m (49 ft) or more
(Robertson and Allen 2002).
Scomberomorus sierra Jordan & Starks, 1895. Pacific Sierra. To 112 cm (44.1 in) TL (Robertson and Allen
2002). Santa Monica, southern California (Miller and Lea 1972) to central Chile (33°35'S; Brito 2002),
including Gulf of California (Collette and Nauen 1983) and Islas Galápagos (Miller and Lea 1972).
Neritic epipelagic, surface to 15 m (49 ft) or more (Robertson and Allen 2002).
Thunnus alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788). Albacore. To 152 cm (5.0 ft) TL (Foreman 1980). Circumglobal in
tropical to temperate waters; in western Pacific north to Japan (Collette and Nauen 1983) and southern
Kuril Islands (Savinykh 1998); northern and eastern Gulf of Alaska (Karinen et al. 1985, Mecklenburg
et al. 2002) to Chile (Foreman 1980), including Islas Galápagos (Grove and Lavenberg 1997) and
entrance to Gulf of California (G. Kira, pers. comm. with photographs to M. L.). Oceanic epipelagic and
mesopelagic, surface to 600 m (1,968 ft; Robertson and Allen 2002).
Thunnus albacares (Bonnaterre, 1788). Yellowfin Tuna. To 220 cm (86.6 in) TL (Robertson and Allen 2002).
Circumglobal in tropical and subtropical waters; in western Pacific north to Japan (Collete and Nauen
1983) and southern Kuril Islands (Savinykh 1998); eastern North Pacific at 50°00'N, 150°02'W (Larkins
1964, Mecklenburg et al. 2002), and Morro Bay, central California (Squire 1987) to Chile (Miller and
Lea 1972), including Islas Galápagos (Grove and Lavenberg 1997). Oceanic epipelagic, surface to 464 m
(1,522 ft; Gunn and Block 1999).
Thunnus obesus (Lowe, 1839). Bigeye Tuna. To 250 cm (8.2 ft) TL (Nakamura in Masuda et al. 1984).
Circumglobal in tropical and subtropical waters; in western Pacific north to Japan (Collette and Nauen
1983) and southern Kuril Islands (Parin 2003); Iron Springs, central Washington (Eschmeyer and Herald
1983) to Chile (Pequeño 1989), including Islas Galápagos (Miller and Lea 1972); apparently not in
Gulf of California (Robertson and Allen 2002). Oceanic epipelagic and mesopelagic, surface to 1,500 m
(4,920 ft) (min.: Eschmeyer and Herald 1983; max.: Schaefer and Fuller 2002).
Thunnus orientalis (Temminck & Schlegel, 1844). Pacific Bluefin Tuna. To about 3 m (10 ft) TL (Foreman
and Ishizuka 1990). Japan (Nakabo in Nakabo 2002) to southern Kuril Islands (Savinykh 1998) and
southern Okhotsk Sea; Shelikof Strait, Gulf of Alaska (Mecklenburg et al. 2002) to tip of Baja California
(Robertson and Allen 2002). Oceanic epipelagic, surface to 450–550 m (1,476–1,804 ft; Marcinek et al.
2001). Previously considered a subspecies of Thunnus thynnus (Linnaeus, 1758), raised to full species
status by Collette (1999). The size of more than 3 m (10 ft) FL and weight of about 680 kg given by
Mecklenburg et al. (2002), after Collette and Nauen (1983), pertains to the Atlantic species T. thynnus.
The largest T. orientalis of record may be “about 555 kg (ca. 3 m)” from Japan, and 271.2 cm FL and
457.7 kg off California (Foreman and Ishizuka 1990).