Bullet mackerel or frigate tuna? These pictures were posted to our Pier Fishing In California Facebook page last week. They were fish caught at the Balboa Pier and identified as bullet mackerel (a notable and rare catch).
However, after sending the picture to our Fishery ID expert, Milton Love, I received the following note back: "I looked at those 2 images you sent from the Balboa Pier, and I sent them to ..... ..... at the SIO fish collection, and we are pretty sure these are Auxis brachydorax [formerly Auxis thazard] the frigate tuna. There is a close relative, Auxis eudorax [formerly Auxis rochei], the bullet tuna, that looks quite similar. Both have, rarely, been taken along the West Coast." So probably not bullet mackerel but just as interesting and rare frigate tuna. Cool.
However, after sending the picture to our Fishery ID expert, Milton Love, I received the following note back: "I looked at those 2 images you sent from the Balboa Pier, and I sent them to ..... ..... at the SIO fish collection, and we are pretty sure these are Auxis brachydorax [formerly Auxis thazard] the frigate tuna. There is a close relative, Auxis eudorax [formerly Auxis rochei], the bullet tuna, that looks quite similar. Both have, rarely, been taken along the West Coast." So probably not bullet mackerel but just as interesting and rare frigate tuna. Cool.
