Frigate tuna - Iccat

CHAPTER 2.1.10.3
FRIGATE TUNA
2.1.10.3 Description of Frigate Tuna (FRI)
1. Names
1.a Classification and taxonomy
AUTHORS:
J. VALEIRAS and E. ABAD
Species name: Auxis thazard (Lacepède 1800)
ICCAT species code: FRI
ICCAT names: Frigate tuna (English), Auxide (French), Melva (Spanish)
According to Collette and Nauen (1983), the frigate tuna is classified as follows:
• Phylum: Chordata
• Subphylum: Vertebrata
• Superclass: Gnathostomata
• Class: Osteichthyes
• Subclass: Actinopterygii
• Order: Perciformes
• Suborder: Scombroidei
• Family: Scombridae
LAST UPDATE:
Sept. 4, 2006
2.1.10.3 FRI
Some authors have used the name Auxis thazard as including Auxis rochei in the belief that there was only a
single worldwide species of Auxis (Collette and Nauen 1983). Most of the published data on biological
parameters of Auxis in Atlantic ocean are from Auxis rochei.
1.b Common names
List of vernacular names used according to ICCAT, FAO and Fishbase (www.fishbase.org). The list is not
exhaustive and some local names might not be included.
Angola: Chapouto, Judeo.
Australia: Frigate mackerel, Leadenall.
Brazil: Albacora-bandolim, Bonito, Bonito-cachorro, Cachorro, Cadelo, Cavala, Judeu, Serra.
Cape Verde: Cachorra, Cachorrinha, Chapouto, Gaiado, Judeo-liso, Judeu, Merma, Panguil, Serra.
China: , .
Chinese Taipei: .
Cuba: Melva aletilargo.
Denmark: Auxide.
Djibouti: Auxide, Frigate tuna.
Dominican Republic: Bonito.
Ecuador: Botellita.
Finland: Auksidi.
France: Auxide.
Germany: Fregattmakrele.
Greece: , , , , Kopani-Kopanaki.
India: Ayila soora, Bugudi, Churai, Ellichoora, Frigate mackerel, Frigate-tuna, Gedar, Gedara, Kuppa, Kuttelichurai,
Ragondi, Urulan-churai.
Indonesia: Balaki.
Iran: Batch-e-zardeh.
217

ICCAT MANUAL, 1st Edition (January 2010)
Italy: Mpisu, Biso, Bisu, Bonitu, Culariau, Istrumbu, Istrumbulu, Motolo, Motulu, Muetolo, Pisantuni,
Pizzutellu, Sangusu, Scurmo, Scurmu, Sgamirru, Sgamiru, Sgionfeto, Strumbo, Strumbu, Strumbulu,
Strummulu, Tambarela, Tambarello, Tambarelo, Tamburello, Tombarello, Tonnetto, Tumbarello, Tunnacchiu.
Japan: Hiramejika, Hirasoda, Hirasôda, Hirasodakatsuo, Oboso, Obosogatsuwo, Shibuwa, Soda-gatsuo, Soma,
Suma.
Malaysia: Aya, Aya selaseh, Baculan, Bakulan, Kayau, Kayu, Selasih, Tongkol, Tongkol selasih.
Martinique: Bonit queue raide.
Mexico: Barrilete negro, Bonito, Melva.
Micronesia: Mackerel tuna, Yasiuneiu-yauma.
Mozambique: Judeu.
Netherlands: Fregatmakreel.
New Zealand: Frigate tuna.
Nicaragua: Melva.
Norway: Auxid.
Oman: Deraiga, Sadah, Tibban.
Papua New Guinea: Frigate mackerel, Frigate tuna.
Peru: Barrileto negro.
Philippines: Aloy, Budburon, Buroboto, Ehalason, Frigate tuna, Ilahason, Kantorayan, Mangko, Mangkoh,
Perit, Pidlayan, Pirit, Super Aloy, Tangi, Tolingan, Tulingan, Tulingan lapad, Vahuyo.
Poland: Tazar.
Portugal: Judeu, Judeu-liso e judeu.
Romania: Melva, Ton negru.
Sao Tome Prn: Fulu fulu.
Somalia: Jaydar-dhiiglow.
Spain: Melva.
St Helena: Mackerel tuna.
Sweden: Auxid.
Tanzania: Sehewa.
Trinidad Tobago: Bonito.
Turkey: Gobene, Tombile.
United Arabian Emirates: Tabban
United Kingdom: Frigate tuna.
United States of America: Bullet mackerel, Frigate mackerel, Frigate tuna.
Venezuela: Cabaña negra.
Vietnam: Cá Ngùr chù, Frigate mackerel.
2. Identification
Figure 1. Drawing of an adult Auxis thazard (by A. López, ‘Tokio’).
218

Characteristics of Auxis thazard (see Figure 1 and Figure 2)
2.1.10.3 FRI
Frigate tuna is a small tuna species. Maximum size is 65 cm (Cayré et al. 1993). Common size is 25 to 40 cm
depending on fishing gear, seasonally and region (Collete and Nauen 1983; Collete 1986).
Colour:
• Colour bluish on dorsal parts turning to deep purple or almost black on the head.
• Pattern of 15 or more dark bars or wavy lines, oblique to nearly horizontal, in the scaleless area above
lateral line.
• White belly without stripes or spots.
• Pectoral and pelvic fins are purple, with black inner sides.
External:
• Body robust elongate and rounded.
• Body naked, except for the corselet which is well developed. Corselet narrow in its posterior part (no
more than 5 scales wide under second dorsal fin origin).
• Strong median keel on each side of caudal peduncle, between two smaller keels.
• Two dorsal fins separated by a large interspace (at least equal to length of first dorsal fin base). Second
dorsal lower than first, followed by 8 finlets.
• Anal fin followed by 7 finlets.
• Short pectoral fin but extending posterior to beginning scaleless area above corselet. Pectoral rays: 22-
25.
• Dorsal spines: 10-12.
• Gillrakers on first arch: 38-47.
• Inter-pelvic process single and very large, equal to length of pelvic fins.
Internal:
• Swimbladder absent.
• Right lobe of liver very long, extending the length of the body cavity and left lobe greatly reduced.
• Vertebrae: 39.
• Cutaneus artery present but divided into separate dorsal and ventral branches. The ventral branch is
very poorly developed.
Short pectoral fin but extending
posterior to beginning scaleless
area above corselet. Pectoral rays:
22-25
Pattern of 15 or more dark bars or wavy
lines, oblique to nearly horizontal, in the
scaleless area above lateral line
Strong median keel on each
side of caudal peduncle,
between two smaller keels
Figure 2. Synthesis of the most outstanding characteristics of Auxis thazard (by A. López, ‘Tokio’).
219

ICCAT MANUAL, 1st Edition (January 2010)
3. Distribution and population ecology
3.a Geographical distribution
The genus Auxis is distributed worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters. The confusion surrounding the
identification of the species of Auxis is reflected in their reported distribution in the world’s oceans. Auxis is
distributed in both sides of the tropical and subtropical Atlantic Ocean, including the Mediterranean, Caribbean
Sea and Gulf of Mexico (Figure 3). Latitudinal range reported for genus in Atlantic is from 45ºN to 35ºS.
In the eastern Atlantic is reported as far north as Norway and as far south as South Africa waters. In the western
Atlantic off the east coast of North America has been recorded from Gulf of Maine, (Cape Cod). Off the Atlantic
coast of South America the species is recorded to Mar del Plata (Argentina).
Figure 3. Geographical distribution of Auxis sp. (FAO. c2001-2009. Compilation of aquatic species distribution
maps of interest to fisheries. In FAO Fisheries Department [online]. Rome. [15 sept. 2009].
http://www.fao.org/fishery/collection/fish_dist_map).
3.b Habitat preferences
Frigate tuna is an epipelagic and neritic fish as well as oceanic occurring in warm waters. Larvae have a high
temperature tolerance of at least 21.6 to 30.5ºC, (the widest among tuna species studied), their optimum is 27-
27.9ºC.
The species has a strong schooling behaviour.
3.c Migrations
Little is known about frigate tuna movements. Less migratory than other tuna species.
3.d Recruitment
Knowledge of the early life stages in tunas is very scarce. It is assumed that larval period is short. During the
first life stages frigate tuna are not caught and juvenile life history is unknown. Immature fish first appear in
fishery from around 25 cm of fork length.
220

4. Biology
4.a Growth
2.1.10.3 FRI
Most of the studies on growth of Auxis species in Atlantic regards to Auxis rochei. Data of Auxis thazard from
Gibraltar Straits area published by Rodriguez-Roda (1966) were later attributed to Auxis rochei for the same
author (Rodriguez-Roda 1983).
Table 1. Growth parameters for frigate tuna (L in cm, K in y-1, t0 in y).
L
Growth Parameter
k t0 Area Reference
N Method
51.47 0.32 -0.83 Eastern Central Atlantic Grudtsev and Korolevich, 1986. 237 Spines
51.5 1 - West Java, Indonesia Dwiponggo et al., 1986
4.b Length-Weight relationship
Most of the studies on length-weight relationships of Auxis species in Atlantic regards to Auxis rochei. Data of
Auxis thazard from Gibraltar Straits area published by Rodriguez-Roda (1966) were latter attributed to Auxis
rochei for the same author (Rodriguez-Roda, 1983). Probably, the relationship for A. thazard published by
Ramos et al. (1985) refers also to A. rochei.
Table 2. Published frigate tuna length-weight relationships.
Equation N Area Country Reference
W= 0.00166 x FL 3.64257
515 Gibraltar Strait Spain Ramos et al., 1985
W= 0.0547x FL 2.7
- South Africa van der Elst, 1981
W= 0.01x FL 3.13
- Southwestern Brazil Brazil Madureira and Rossi-Wongtschowski, 2005
W= 0.0061x FL 3.3
- Mikomoto Japan Ishida, 1971
W= 0.077 x FL 2.509
- Shionomisaki Japan Ishida, 1971
W= 0.0018x FL 3.334
- Sri Lanka Sivasubramaniam, 1966
4.c Reproduction
Most of the studies on reproduction of Auxis species in Atlantic regards to Auxis rochei. Some information for
other oceans are included below.
Spawning
The species has an extended spawning period from February to November depending on the geographical area in
North Atlantic. In tropical African coasts the spawning occurs from April to September off Sierra Leone, in
summer in the gulf of Guinea, November and December off Congo and Angola (Rudomiotkina 1984). Spawning
is recorded at the surface water temperatures of 21.6-30.5º, with massive spawning at 25-26º.
Maturity
Sexual maturity is reached at about 29 cm fork length in Japanese waters and 35 c around Hawai (Collette and
Nauen 1983).
Fecundity
Fecundity was estimated at about 1.37 million eggs per year in a 44.2 cm female. Fecundity of fish in Indian
waters ranged between approximately 200,000 to 1.06 million eggs per spawning in correlation with the size of
females (Collette and Nauen 1983).
221

ICCAT MANUAL, 1st Edition (January 2010)
4.d First life stages
Eggs and larvae
Eggs are pelagic, 0.84-0.92 mm of diameter and with one oil globule (0.24-0.29 mm of diameter). The yolk is
homogeneus. The hatch size is 2.32 mm. The embryo presents melanophores and large green chromatophores on
posterior half. Larvae present pigmentation on midbrain, hindbrain, gut, cleithral symphysis dorsal, lateral and
ventral margins of tail (Richards 2005).
4.e Diet
Food is primarily selected by the size of gillrakers. The species feeds on fish, crustaceans, cephalopods and
others. Fish prey largely of small pelagic fishes, particularly anchovies and other clupeoids (Etchevers 1957).
Crustaceans are especially planktonic crustaceans as megalops and stomatopods larvae.
Predators: several tuna species, pelagic sharks, billfishes and big pelagic fish (Coryphaena hippurus, Alepisaurus
sp, Sphyraena sp.). Because of its abundance, they are considered an important element of the food chain, being
a forage prey for other commercial species (Olson 1982).
4.f Physiology
There is a lack on information on this topic.
4.g Behaviour
Little is known about little tuna behaviour patterns.
4.h Natural mortality
There is a lack on information available on this biological parameter.
5. Fisheries biology
5.a Populations/Stock structure
There is little information available to determine the stock structure of frigate tuna. Current information does not
allow for an evaluation of stock status.
5.b Description of fisheries: catches and effort
Frigate tuna is exploited mainly by surface gears and artisanal fisheries as trolling lines, handlines, small-scale
longlines, and a wide variety of nets, especially traps, gill or drift nets, ring nets, beach seines, otter trawls, and
purse seines. In some of these fisheries, Auxis species are taken incidentally as by-catch as in purse seine
fisheries for yellowfin and skipjack tuna.
In the Atlantic, catches of Auxis species are usually not identified to species. Thus in the total catch of frigate
tuna, the proportion of each of the two species is not known. However, almost the entire Venezuela, Atlantic and
Mediterranean catch is supposedly Auxis rochei (Collette and Nauen 1983).
Annual catches reach 25,903 t in 1988 (Figure 4). Average estimated landings from 1980 to 2004 is 16,649 t.
Unknown quantities of bullet tuna are landing and recorded as frigate tuna in the Atlantic (ICCAT 2006).
222

30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
1980
1981
Figure 4. Catch (t) distribution of frigate tuna in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, 1980-2004.
6. Bibliography
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
2.1.10.3 FRI
CAYRÉ, P., J. B. Amon Kothias, T. Diouf and J. M. Stretta, 1993 Biology of tuna. p. 147-244. In A. Fonteneau
and J. Marcille (eds.) Resources, fishing and biology of the tropical tunas of the Eastern Central Atlantic.
FAO Fish. Tech. Pap. 292. Rome, FAO. 354 p.
COLLETE, B. B., 1986. Scombridae. In: P.J.P. Whitehead, M.-L. Bauchot, J.-C. Hureau, J. Nielsen, and E.
Tortonese (eds.), Fishes of the North-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranea. Vol II. pp. 981-997. Unesco,
Paris.
COLLETTE, B. B. and C. E. Nauen, 1983. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 2. Scombrids of the world. An
annotated and illustrated catalogue of tunas, mackerels, bonitos and related species known to date. FAO
Fish. Synop. 125(2). 137 pp.
DWIPONGGO, A., T. Hariati, S. Banon, M. L. Palomares and D. Pauly, 1986. Growth, mortality and
recruitment of commercially important fishes and penaeid shrimps in Indonesian waters. ICLARM Tech.
Rep. 17, 91 p.
ETCHEVERS, S. L., 1976. Incidencia de clupeoideos en la alimentacion de las caballas: Euthynnus alletteratus
(Rafinesque 1976) y Auxis thazard (Lacepède) en la costa noreste de Margarita. Lagena, (37-38):9-11.
GRUDTSEV M. E. and L. I. Korolevich, 1986. Studies of frigate tuna Auxis thazard (Lacepede) age and growth
in the eastern part of the Equatorial Atlantic. Col. Vol. Sci. Pap. ICCAT, 25(2): 269-274.
ICCAT. 2006. Report for biennial period, 2004-05 Part II (2005) - Vol. 2, Executive Summaries on Species:
Small Tunas: 128-135.
ISHIDA, Y. 1971. Investigation of frigate mackerel (Auxis rochei), 1968 season. (In Jap.) Rep. Kochi Pref. Fish.
Expo. Stn 66 and 67: 119-140.
MADUREIRA, L. S. P. and C. L. D. B. Rossi-Wongtschowski (Editors), 2005. Prospecção de recursos
pesqueiros pelágicos na Zona Econômica Exclusiva da Região Sudeste-Sul do Brasil: hidroacústica e
biomassas. Série documentos Revizee: Score Sul, Instituto Oceanográfico, USP, São Paulo, Brazil. 144 p.
OLSON, R. J. 1982. Feeding and energetics studies of yellowfin tuna; food for ecological thought. Col. Vol. Sci.
Pap. ICCAT, 17:444-57.
RAMOS, A., A lot, E., and J. A. Camiñas, 1985. Relación talla/peso de la melva, Auxis thazard, para el
Atlántico y Mediterráneo. Collect. Vol. Sci. Pap. ICCAT, 25: 265-268 (1986).
RICHARDS, W.J., (ed.). 2005. Early Stages of Atlantic Fishes: An identification guide for the western central
North Atlantic. CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Group, Boca Raton, FL, 2640 pp.
RODRÍGUEZ-RODA, J. 1966. Estudio de la bacoreta, Euthynnus alletteratus (Raf.), bonito, Sarda sarda
(Bloch) y melva Auxis thazard (Lac.), capturados por las almadrabas españolas. Invest. Pesq. 30: 247-292.
RODRIGUEZ-RODA J. 1983. Edad y crecimiento de la melva, Auxis rochei (Risso), del Sur de España. Invest.
Pesq. (Barc.), 47(3): 397-402.
Year
FRI_Med FRI_Atl FRI_Total
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
223

ICCAT MANUAL, 1st Edition (January 2010)
RUDOMIOTKINA, G. P. 1984. New data on reproduction of Auxis spp. In the Gulf of Guinea. Collect. Vol. Sci.
Pap. ICCAT, 20(2): 465-468.
SIVASUBRAMANIAM, K. 1966. Distribution and length-weight relationships of tunas and tuna-like fishes
around Ceylon. Bull. Fish. Res. Stn. Ceylon, 19:27-46.
VAN DER ELST, R. 1981. A guide to the common sea fishes of southern Africa. C. Struik, Cape Town. 367 p.
224