Six Types of Tuna in Cape Verde: Learn Them Now

Yellowfin is a common species with a tropical and subtropical distribution and forms big schools. Cape Verde is on its migration route. It can consume 10% of its body weight per day ( eats mainly small fish and squids). It grows fast and lives for approximately 7-8 years.

The yellowfin found around Cape Verde vary in size from 35 to 180 cm in length and weigh between 0.8 and 110 kilograms. Although it’s present in Cabo Verdean waters on all days of the year, it is most numerous during the hot season.

The skipjack is also a tropical species, usually 30 to 100 cm long and weighing 0.5 to 11.5 kg. It lives up to 12 years, reproduces in the Bay of Guinea, and its spawning season in Cape Verde is from July to September. It has a noticeable value for fisheries. Most tuna caught in Cabo Verde since 1976 has been skipjack. It is also an important prey for sharks and large fish, and is often used as live bait when fishing for marlin.

The bigeye occurs in all tropical and temperate oceans. They are commonly 35-200 cm, weighing 0.9-180 kg. They are large, deep-bodied, streamlined fish with large heads and eyes. Bigeye tuna have a unique physiology which allows them to forage in oxygen-poor, deep and cold waters. The eyes of bigeye are well developed, with a large spherical lens, allowing their vision to function well in low-light conditions.

Little tunny (or little tuna) occurs in the Atlantic Ocean as well as in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. It’s a highly migratory species living both offshore and inshore. The characteristic marks of little tunny are the “worm-like” markings on its back and the dark spots between its pectoral and ventral fins. It’s small in body size compared to other tuna species. It has a compact, torpedo-shaped and streamlined body built to facilitate bursts of speed and endurance while swimming.

The frigate occurs in tropical oceans worldwide. They measure from 26 to 65 cm in length and up to a maximum of 1.7 kg in weight, and live up to 5 years. Their colouring on the back is a deep metallic blue-black, and it fades to a kind of purple approaching the head. Because of many similarities, it’s easy to mistake frigate tuna for another species in its genus, the bullet tuna.

The frigate tuna is commercially significant in many parts of the world. Its flesh, however, is known to deteriorate quickly and is characterised by its dark colour and oiliness. Commercial fishers use it mainly as bait.

The Wahoo lives in the hot waters of the Atlantic, and it’s found in Cape Verdean waters all year round. It is best known to sports fishermen, as its speed and high-quality flesh make it a prized and valued game fish. Its body is elongated, and the back is an iridescent blue, while the sides are silvery with a pattern of irregular vertical blue bars (these colours fade rapidly at death). Wahoos can grow up to 2.5 m in length and weigh up to 83 kg. They are among the fastest fish in the sea.