BONITO

(Sarda), tuna-like, schooling fish of the tuna and mackerel family, Scombridae (order Perciformes). Bonitos are swift, predacious fishes found worldwide. They have striped backs and silvery bellies and grow to a length of about 75 centimetres (30 inches). Like tunas, they are streamlined, with a narrow tail base, a forked tail, and a row of small finlets behind the dorsal and anal fins. Bonitos are of both commercial and sporting value. Three species are generally recognized: S. sarda of the Atlantic and Mediterranean; S. orientalis of the Indo-Pacific; and S. chilensis of the Pacific. The leaping bonito (Cybiosarda elegans) is a related Indo-Pacific food and sport fish. The oceanic bonito is the skipjack tuna (see tuna).