Species › Global · Open Ocean & Worldwide › Dogtooth Tuna

Saltwater

Dogtooth Tuna

Gymnosarda unicolor · Doggie, Dogtooth, Scaleless tuna

Water temp
75–84°F
Peak season
Jun–Oct
Best light
Daytime
IGFA record
236 lb 15 oz (107.5 kg)
Dogtooth Tuna (Gymnosarda unicolor 29564501.jpg)

Photo: Pranav Vissanji · CC BY 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

OverviewWhere & WhenHow to CatchGearRegulationsRecordsForecastCatches

Overview

Dogtooth tuna are not true tuna but a close relative: a long, powerful, bonito-like fish with a steel-blue back, bright silver sides, a wavy lateral line and large, widely spaced conical teeth. The body lacks scales except on the corselet behind the head. They range across tropical Indo-Pacific reefs from the Red Sea and East Africa through the Maldives, Indonesia and northern Australia to Japan and French Polynesia. Most sport-caught fish run 30–80 lb, with giants past 200 lb taken in Tanzania, the Coral Sea and Vanuatu.

Unlike open-ocean tuna, doggies patrol steep reef walls, passes and seamounts in 60–300 feet, ambushing fusiliers, rainbow runners and small tuna. They hit surface lures with shocking violence and immediately sound for the coral, which cuts even heavy braid; many hooked fish are lost or taken by sharks. Expedition anglers rate them among the hardest fish to land on rod and reel, and they are the top target of popping and jigging trips to the Great Barrier Reef, the Maldives, Tanzania and the Pacific atolls.

Typical size30–80 lb (14–36 kg); 3–4.5 ft
Trophy100 lb+; 150 lb+ is world-class
Table fareGood — firm white meat, though large reef fish can carry ciguatera and are usually released

Where & when

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Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea trips run in the Southern Hemisphere winter and spring (June–November) when seas are calmer; the Maldives fish December–April and Tanzania's Latham Island peaks November–March.

Ribbon Reefs and the Coral Sea, AustraliaOuter Great Barrier Reef drop-offs; jigging and popping for 100 lb fishLatham Island, TanzaniaHome of the world record; huge doggies on live bait and jigsHuvadhoo Atoll, MaldivesChannel mouths and outer reef walls; popping at dawnRodrigues Island, MauritiusRemote reef with consistent 60–120 lb dogtooth

How to catch

Popping and stickbaitingCast large poppers and sinking stickbaits along reef edges and across passes at first light, working them with long, hard sweeps. Lock the drag to 25–30 lb or more, point the rod at the fish on the strike and lift to turn its head before it reaches the coral.
Vertical and speed jiggingDrop 200–400 g knife jigs to the base of a reef wall or seamount in 150–300 feet and rip them back with fast, long strokes. Doggies hit on the drop or the first few pumps; use assist hooks rigged on heavy Kevlar and expect to lose jigs.
Live-baitingBridle a live rainbow runner, bonito or fusilier on a 10/0 circle hook and slow-troll or drift it along the drop-off on 80–130 lb gear. This produces the biggest fish, especially at Latham Island, where sharks demand a short, brutal fight.

Gear

Rod7'8"–8' PE8–PE10 popping rod or 5'3"–5'6" PE6–PE8 jigging rod
Reel14000–20000 size high-end spinning or 30–50 lb class two-speed lever drag
Line80–130 lb (PE8–PE10) braid with a 150–250 lb fluorocarbon or mono leader

Lures

Large cup-face poppersSinking stickbaitsKnife and long-fall jigsDeep-diving minnow plugs for trolling

Baits

Live rainbow runnerLive bonito or skipjackLive fusilierDead scad

Regulations

Dogtooth tuna are not found in US waters. Most destinations are managed by national or marine-park rules that may include size limits, bag limits or no-take zones on specific reefs, and reputable operators practice release of large fish; check with your charter or the local fisheries agency.

Records

IGFA all-tackle world record: 236 lb 15 oz (107.5 kg) — Latham Island, off Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 2015 (Jon Patten). State and regional records are kept by each fish & wildlife agency.

Frequently asked

Why are dogtooth tuna so hard to land?

They live on steep coral walls and dive straight for the reef the instant they are hooked, so braid or leader gets cut on the coral unless the angler turns the fish in the first ten seconds with very heavy drag. Sharks patrol the same reefs and often take a tiring fish. Anglers routinely land fewer than half the doggies they hook.

Where is the best place to catch a dogtooth tuna?

The outer Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea reefs out of Cairns offer the most consistent numbers of 50–100 lb fish, while Latham Island off Tanzania produces the biggest, including the world record. The Maldives, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Rodrigues are also proven; all require a dedicated mothership or expedition charter.

Bite forecast — Dogtooth Tuna

Recent catches

Posted by anglers on the live map, filtered to Dogtooth Tuna.

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