Several species of Tuna visit the western coast of India during the month of September to the month of March when the smaller fishes such as sardines and mackerel also arrive in this area. Large species such as the Ocenic Skipjack, Ketsunus pelamis and Yellow-fin Tuna, Thunnus albacore macropterus grow to about a metre (weighing twenty five kilograms) and two metres (fifty kilograms) respectively and are available near the offshore islands of Lakshadweep. Smaller forms such as Frigate Mackerel (Auxix sp.), Bonito (Sarda orientalis), Little Tunny (Euthynus affinis) and the Northern Blue Fin (Kishinoella or Thunnus tonggol) approach coastal waters in search of live food. They disappear from the coastal waters at the end of the usual season. About twenty five thousand tonnes is annually landed in Indian ports, about a fifth of the entire Indian Ocean production. Tuna, when canned, is very popular in Europe and USA, where it is considered as the chicken of the sea. This article is a stub. You can enrich by adding more information to it. Send your Write Up to content@indianetzone.com |