Bonito Identification Guide
Recognize Atlantic bonito's diagonal back stripes, the reverse pattern of skipjack tuna's belly stripes.
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Key identification features
- Streamlined, torpedo-shaped body typical of the tuna family
- Steel-blue back marked with 5 to 11 distinctive oblique, straight dark stripes running downward and backward from the back toward the lateral line
- Belly and lower sides are plain silvery-white with no markings
- Small, sharp conical teeth line the jaws
- Slender caudal peduncle with small finlets along the back and belly near the tail
Common look-alikes
- Skipjack tuna: stripes run along the belly, not the back, the reverse pattern of Atlantic bonito
- Little tunny: back markings are wavy, wormlike, or blotchy rather than straight diagonal lines, and it has dark spots near the pectoral fin base
- Spanish mackerel: has rows of round spots rather than diagonal stripes, and a more slender, less tuna-like body
Where you'll see one
Atlantic bonito are found in temperate and warm coastal waters of the Atlantic and Mediterranean, often schooling near the surface both inshore along beaches and jetties and farther out over open water.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell Atlantic bonito from skipjack tuna?
Bonito's stripes run diagonally down the back, while skipjack's stripes are on the belly and lower sides - the opposite pattern.
What distinguishes bonito from little tunny?
Bonito shows straight, evenly spaced diagonal stripes on the back, while little tunny has irregular, wavy or wormlike markings and dark spots near the pectoral fin base.