Mexican Bonito, Striped Bonito, Bonito, Bonita, Bonito, Bonito Mono, Sarda orientalis.

The Bonito is one of the most common members of the Scombridae or Tuna, Bonito, and Mackerel Family found in Mexican waters.

The Mexican Bonito is characterized by its “tuna-like” appearance, dark blue back, silver sides and belly, and a series of 8 to 11 broken horizontal stripes along its upper sides. It does not have spots between the pelvic and pectoral fins.

The Mexican Bonito might be confused with the Black Skipjack, Eurhynnus lineatus (which has 5 to 6 horizontal stripes along its upper sides and distinguishing spots between the pelvic and pectoral fins); the Skipjack Tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis (4 to 6 horizontal dark stripes on its sides with no spots); and most certainly with the Eastern Pacific Bonito, Sarda chilensis (5 to 6 oblique dark stripes on its upper back with no spots).

The Mexican Bonito is a coastal pelagic schooling species that is found near off shore reefs. It is only found between Cabo San Lucas and La Paz on the Baja California peninsula, south of Acapulco on mainland Mexico, and around all oceanic islands. The Mexican Bonito is normally found in the first 100 feet of the water column.

The “all tackle world record,” caught in Mexican waters as of 2004 stands at 27.0 pounds, with a length of 46.1 inches. The Mexican Bonito is normally an incidental catch on almost any kind of lure or bait. For its size it puts up a horrific fight. It is viewed by locals as a bait fish with the smaller examples pinned to a 7/0 hook with 6-ounce sinker and returned immediately to the deep, or cut into chucks and flylinned or sent to the bottom.