Atlantic Bonito

Photo: Patrick E. Phoebus · CC BY-NC

Atlantic bonito aggregate in enormous schools around Bajo del Caballo between May and November, driven by the upwelling-rich waters of the African continental shelf that push productive cold water within range of the ridge. As a member of the tuna family they are warm-blooded hunters capable of sustained high-speed chases — their schools create visible surface disturbances as they herd sardines and anchovies into compressed bait balls before attacking from below. Bonito occupy a critical trophic position as both predator of small pelagics and prey for the sharks, billfish, and dolphins that follow their movements through Fuerteventura's offshore waters.