Marine Life

Skipjack tuna

Kalhubilamas

Katsuwonus pelamis

Katsuwonus pelamis is the most commercially important species in the Maldives, accounting for approximately two thirds of the total recorded fish catch. This species is almost exclusively caught in the traditional livebait pole and line fishery, which has likely been in existence for over one thousand years.

Details

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size: Common to 70 cm; max. 1.08 m
color: Back dark purplish blue. Lower side and belly silvery, with 4-6 very conspicuous longitudinal dark bands (which in live specimens may appear as discontinuous lines of dark blotches).
order: Perciformes
family: Scombridae
image url: https://assets.explore.mv/fishes/katsuwonus-pelamis.png
habitat and biology: This species is epipelagic, meaning it is found in the upper layers of the water column and is visible from the surface, and oceanic, meaning it is found in the open ocean. It is typically found above the thermocline, which is the boundary between the warm surface water and the colder, deep water. It forms massive schools and is often seen together with juvenile yellowfin tuna. It feeds on small fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans.
distinctive characters: There are two dorsal fins separated by a small interspace not larger than an eye, the first with 14-16 spines and the second followed by 7-9 finlets. The anal fin has 14-15 rays followed by 7 finlets, and the pectoral fin has 26-28 rays. The body is scaleless except for the corselet and lateral line.