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How to catch Slender tuna

Allothunnus fallai Serventy, 1948

About Slender tuna fishing

The slender tuna is a pelagic oceanic fish belonging to the mackerel family Scombridae, distinguished by a more elongated fusiform body than other sympatric tunas. It features a blue-black back transitioning to silvery greyish-white sides, occasionally displaying a fleeting coppery sheen after capture, alongside purple-tinted pectoral and pelvic fins. Growing up to 105 centimetres fork length, this species typically inhabits surface waters down to 20 metres depth in southern oceans. It exhibits oceanodromous migratory behavior, occasionally forming schools while feeding selectively on krill, squids, and small fishes. Although taken primarily as commercial bycatch, it is valued for its oily, nutrient-rich flesh.

  • Difficulty

    Medium

  • Average size

    86 cm TL

  • Market value

    Very high

  • Habitat

    Saltwater

  • Season

    Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter

  • Also known as

    Falla's tuna, Tuna

Slender tuna

Caudal shape

Deeply forked tail fin characteristic of slender tuna species.

Terminal mouth

Terminal mouth position helps identify this predatory pelagic fish.

No spots

Plain body lacking striking spots or stripes distinguishes slender tuna.

Straight forehead

More or less straight forehead profile typical of this tuna.

Slender tuna fishing facts

Characteristics

  • Typical size

    86 cm TL (max 105 cm FL )

  • Typical weight

    3.5 kg (max 13.7 kg )

  • Preferred temperature

    15.8–24.6 °C

  • Depth

    0–20 m

  • Body shape

    Fusiform / Normal

  • Commercial?

  • Vulnerability score

    50.6

Best hours

  • Dawn

    First light

    Peak

  • Morning

    After sunrise

    Active

  • Midday

    High sun

    Low

  • Afternoon

    Late day

    Active

  • Dusk

    Last light

    Peak

  • Night

    After dark

    Low

When to fish for Slender tuna

01
January
02
February
03
March
04
April
05
May
06
June
07
July
08
August
09
September
10 Now
October
11
November
12
December

How to catch Slender tuna

Tips for catching Slender tuna

Anglers targeting pelagic schooling tunas in deep offshore waters achieve the best results by deploying high-speed trolling techniques using streamlined skirted lures or small metal jets that mimic fleeing prey. When surface activity or feeding frenzies occur, casting metal jigs or durable hard baits into the breaking water can trigger aggressive strikes. Concentrate efforts during early morning or late afternoon hours when visibility and light conditions encourage active feeding near the surface layers. Because these fish roam widely across open oceanic zones, locating temperature breaks, surface current edges, and concentrations of seabirds greatly increases encounter rates.

Other names for Slender tuna

Local and alternate names anglers use for Slender tuna.

  • Slender tuna
  • Tuna
  • Falla's tuna

Best equipment to catch Slender tuna

Compare fishing methods for Slender tuna — sized kit for each technique.

Note: Typical fish is 3.5 kg Our algorithm will suggest the best equipment for you based on this weight.

Best lures and baits for Slender tuna

Ranked lures and natural baits from every method, best first.

How Slender tuna migrates — Oceanodromous

Migrates within the sea between spawning, nursery and feeding grounds, and never enters fresh water. Follow its seasonal shifts along the coast and offshore.

How Slender tuna migrates — Oceanodromous 1. Eggs: Laid on the spawning grounds. 2. Larvae: Drift with the currents to the nursery grounds. 3. Juveniles: Grow up in sheltered nursery waters. 4. Adults: Range widely over the feeding grounds. 5. Spawners: Return to the spawning grounds each season.
Spawning grounds Nursery grounds Feeding grounds

1 Eggs

Spawning grounds

Laid on the spawning grounds.

2 Larvae

→ Nursery grounds

Drift with the currents to the nursery grounds.

3 Juveniles

Nursery grounds

Grow up in sheltered nursery waters.

4 Adults

Feeding grounds

Range widely over the feeding grounds.

5 Spawners

→ Spawning grounds

Return to the spawning grounds each season.

It stays in the sea and never runs up into fresh water.

Hover or tap a number to read each stage.

Diet and behavior of Slender tuna

Prey and predators of Slender tuna

Prey is what Slender tuna eats. Predators are the animals that eat it.

That is how it feeds, and how it is hunted.

Prey

What it eats

Where Slender tuna lives

Pelagic in the open ocean beyond the shelf break.

Habitats
Saltwater
Depth zone
Epipelagic
Sunlight · 0–20 m
Water column
Open water
Does not use the seabed

Where this species lives