''Auxis'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of ocean-dwelling ray-finned bony fish in the family

Scombridae The mackerel, tuna, and bonito family, Scombridae, includes many of the most important and familiar food fishes. The family consists of 51 species in 15 genera and two subfamilies. All species are in the subfamily Scombrinae, except the butterf ...

, and

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confli ...

Thunnini A tuna is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae (mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna (max length ...

, also known as the

tunas A tuna is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae (mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna (max length ...

. ''Auxis'', commonly and collectively called the frigate tunas, is one of five genera of tunas which comprise the Thunnini tribe.

Species

There are four species in the genus ''Auxis'', which were formerly regarded as two polytypic species, each with two subspecies. In 2021, the species ''Auxis koreanus'' was described from

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

. * '' Auxis brachydorax'' Collette & Aadland, 1996 * '' Auxis eudorax'' Collette & Aadland, 1996 * '' Auxis koreanus'' Nam et al., 2021 * '' Auxis rochei'' Risso, 1810 (bullet tuna) * '' Auxis thazard'' Lacépède, 1800 (frigate tuna)

Description

''Auxis'' can reach a length of . They have a strong, fusiform body with a sharpened head. The teeth are small and conical. The two dorsal fins are separated by a wide gap. The pectoral fins are short. They have a dark, blue-black back, the top of the head may be deep purple or almost black. The belly is whitish and without streaks or spots.

Distribution

These fishes are widespread in all tropical and subtropical seas and oceans, and both mentioned species are present in the Mediterranean Sea with their subspecies (''A. thazard thazard'' and ''A. rochei rochei).''

Ecology

''Auxis'' species are the predominant prey of pelagic gamefish off of the east coast of the United States.

As food

In Japan the two species in the genus are collectively called , and this is also the common genus name. In

Japanese cuisine Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan (Japanese: ) is based on rice with miso soup and oth ...

, these fish are processed into , a product much like , though not really used in fine-dining restaurants or as condiment, but as a fish stock ingredient at more budget type popular-dining places, e.g., noodle shops. Although fresh fish might be eaten as

sashimi is a Japanese delicacy consisting of fresh raw fish or meat sliced into thin pieces and often eaten with soy sauce. Origin The word ''sashimi'' means "pierced body", i.e. " 刺身" = ''sashimi'', where 刺し = ''sashi'' (pierced, stu ...

or grilled, it has a lot of dark-red meat (), so it is valued much less than the similar ' ( skipjack tuna). And it degrades quickly so shipment out to market is limited. The frigate tuna () is considered superior between the two.

Fossil record

Fossils of ''Auxis'' have been found in the

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58Paleobiology Database
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References

External links

*
MNHN
{{Taxonbar, from=Q287566 Scombridae Marine fish genera Taxa named by Georges Cuvier