210 UNDERWATER GUIDE TO MARINE LIFE 



may be commonly seen leisurely swimming singly or in small pods. The authors 

 have seen them in shallow coral areas in August. They school more densely 

 in deeper waters. The spawning occurs offshore in late spring and early summer. 

 The eggs are floating and very numerous. Menhaden and other small fishes 

 are its principal food. 



Similar Species: The Mexican sierra, Sconiheroviorus sierra, is very similar 

 to the Atlantic form. It is common in the tropical eastern Pacific and reaches 

 north to Baja California and rarely to San Diego. 



The cero (painted mackerel, kingfish, pintado), Scomheromonis regalis, is 

 found from Cape Cod to Brazil and is not generally common. It has the soft 

 dorsal fin inserted directly above the anal (in the Spanish mackerel the soft dorsal 

 is a little ahead of the anal) and a solid or broken yellowish-brown lateral stripe. 

 It tends to be a bit larger than the Spanish mackerel but is otherwise very 

 similar. 



The king mackerel (cero, cavalla, kingfish, etc.), Sconiberomorus cavalla, 

 is the largest of its genus, weighing up to 50 pounds. It is completely silvery, 

 with no markings, and has the lateral line abruptly decurved under the soft 

 dorsal fin. It is typical of the West Indies and reaches north to Cape Hatteras. 



The wahoo (kingfish, peto), Acanthocyhiiim soJandri, has a very wide tropical 

 distribution. It is found in the Western Hemisphere north to Maryland in the 

 late summer, and is also found off the western coast of Mexico, but it is found 

 chiefly in the West Indies. The body is long and slim and crossed by dark 

 vertical bars its whole length. Because of the large size, averaging 25 to 45 

 pounds and reaching 6 feet and 133V2 pounds, and the beaklike snout set with 

 large teeth, it has been confused with the barracuda. 



OCEANIC BONiTo (skipjack): Katsuwonus felamis— Color Plate 2 



Size: Up to 2i/i to 3 feet. 



Weight: Averages 4 to 5 pounds. Up to 25 to 35 pounds. 



Distribution: Cosmopolitan in warm seas. North on our coasts to Cape Cod 

 and Point Conception. 



Identification: The belly has a series of dark longitudinal stripes. There is 

 a corselet of scales around the body near the pectoral fins (as is common in many 

 of the tunalike fishes). 



Hahits: This is the most likely to be encountered and one of the smallest of 

 the tunalike fishes, many of which are practically cosmopolitan in warm seas. 

 All are exceedingly swift and voracious, and are found principally offshore. These 

 fishes travel in moderately large schools that are constantly on the move. 

 The nature and causes of their movements are poorly understood. The chief 

 food of all tunalike fishes consists of smaller oceanic schooling fishes. The oceanic 

 bonito is fond of eating flying fishes. 



Similar S'pecies: The confusing array of oceanic tunalike fishes is best divided 

 into three groups: (1) tunas, Thunnus and Neothunnus, (2) bonitos, Sarda, 

 and (3) albacorcs, Germo. The tunas are huge, reaching 1,500 pounds, and are 

 usually plainly colored. The bonitos are smaller, rarely over 3 feet, and 

 are obliquely striped on the back (stripes run up and back from the mid-body). 

 Albacorcs attain 80 pounds in weight and have very long, sickle-shaped pectoral 

 fins that reach back to behind the origin of the anal fin. 



