Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Scombridae
Acanthocybium
Allothunnus
Auxus
Cybiosarda
Euthynnus
Gasterochisma
Grammatorcynus
Gymnosarda
Katsuwonus
Orcynopsis
Rastrelliger
Sarda
Scomber
Scomberomorus
Thunnus
Scombridae is the family of the mackerels, tunas, and bonitos, and thus includes many of the most important and familiar food fishes. The family consists of about 55 species in 15 genera.
Scombrids have two dorsal fins, each of which can be depressed into grooves in the back, and a series of finlets between the rear dorsal fin and anal fin and the tail. The base of the tail is slender, and the caudal fin strongly divided. Species sizes vary by an order of magnitude, from the 20 cm of the island mackerel to the immense 458 cm recorded for the northern bluefin tuna.
Scombrids are generally predators of the open ocean, and capable of considerable speed.
Some members of the family, in particular the tunas, are notable for being endothermic (warm-blooded).
External link
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details