Sarda australis
Australian bonito
Same Genus
Distribution
Temperate Australasia
Description
Striped body and a very similar appearance to the closely-related oriental bonito Sarda orientalis. That species differs by possessing stripes (sometimes indistinct) on the lower half of the body, 18-22 gill rakers on the first gill arch (cf. 8-13 in S. australis), and a preference for more tropical waters, although the two species can occur in mixed schools on the east coast. The Australian bonito is occasionally caught by lure cast from rocks along the NSW coast. The meat is not highly regarded.
Information
Max Size: 180 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 15.3-24.6°C
Depth: 0-100m
Habitat Generalization Index: N/A
Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.
Conservation and Rarity
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Occurrence: Infrequent (4.9% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Many (15 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney