Pacific bonito

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Pacific bonito (Sarda lineolata) is a fast, schooling fish of the open Pacific Ocean. It’s blue to violet on top with a silvery belly and has dark stripes along its back. It can reach about 40 inches (around 100 cm) long and weigh up to 25 pounds. Males mature earlier than females (about two years sooner), with females reaching maturity around 55 cm and males around 50 cm. Lifespan is typically 6–8 years.

There are two populations with different ranges: a northern population from Southern California to Central Baja California (and sometimes as far north as Southern Alaska in warm years), and a southern population from Northern Peru to Chile. They are most common within 15 miles of shore but can live several hundred miles offshore. Young bonito often use kelp forests, harbors, and bays.

Pacific bonito form large schools and migrate with the seasons, sometimes traveling up to 600 miles. They eat mostly other fish and squid, especially Northern Anchovy, but also hake, sardines, saury, and mackerel. Spawning occurs January through June; eggs float freely and hatch in about three days. They can spawn multiple years, and older fish spawn earlier in the season.

Bonito grow fast and are a popular game fish, though not highly valued as food. They are prey for swordfish, bluefin tuna, striped marlin, sea lions, dolphins, and some sharks. They’re caught mainly by trolling or still fishing with lures, spoons, or live bait. Because they move a lot, estimating their population is hard; they’re currently thought to be in stable condition, but more research is needed. In a warming ocean, their range could move northward, and some individuals have become resident near warm-water areas such as power plants.