Bullet tuna
Auxis rochei (Risso, 1810)
Family Scombridae • the little bullet tuna of surface schools
3 look-alikes to know
| French name | Bonitou. |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Auxis rochei (Risso, 1810) |
| Family | Family Scombridae |
| English name (FAO) | Bullet tuna |
| Local names | On Ivorian markets and landing sites: “Cigare” (Ouattara et al., 2016). |
| Habitat | Small, gregarious coastal pelagic tuna that forms fast-moving schools from the surface down to about fifty metres. |
| IUCN status | Least Concern (LC), IUCN Red List, assessed on 01/03/2022. |
How to recognise it
- short, stocky bullet-shaped tuna with a pointed head;
- two widely separated dorsal fins; short pectoral fin;
- corselet of scales broad at the rear (more than 6 scales wide below the origin of the second dorsal fin), rest of the body scaleless;
- at least 15 nearly vertical dark bars on the rear of the back; white belly;
- purple pectoral and pelvic fins, black on the inner side; a large single flap between the pelvic fins.
Do not confuse with: the frigate tuna (wavy oblique lines, narrow corselet); the little tunny (black spots below the pectoral fin, dorsal fins close together).
Size
Common size around 35 cm; maximum 50 cm fork length (FishBase).
Fishing
Sabiki of small lures on the schools, fast trolling with small spoons; excellent live bait for tunas, jacks and barracudas.
At the table
Dark red, firm, strong-tasting flesh; grilled or in a spicy sauce. Bleed and chill quickly.
Status
Least Concern (LC), IUCN Red List, assessed on 01/03/2022 (via FishBase, checked on 25/10/2026).
Local names
« Cigare »: markets and landing sites of Côte d'Ivoire (Ouattara et al., 2016); language to be specified.
Sources: FishBase, Auxis rochei (accessed on 25/10/2026); V13 species sheet 5.