fish
Dogtooth tuna.
Gymnosarda unicolor · also: Doggie, White tuna
Despite the name it is not a true tuna but a reef-associated bonito — a prized sight on Maldivian channel dives, patrolling the current edge in fast, gleaming squadrons. Named for the conical teeth lining its jaws, it is a powerful hunter that comes in close to reefs and drop-offs.
Size
Commonly ~1.1 m; max ~2.5 m
Weight
Up to ~130 kg at the largest; most far smaller.
Diet
Pelagic schooling fish near reefs, plus cephalopods and crustaceans.
Lifespan
At least ~20 years (preliminary).
Depth
0–250 m; commonly ~15–45 m around reefs.
Reproduction
Open-water egg scatterer; eggs float and hatch in ~2 days; spawning ~Dec–Feb.
Snorkel or dive
Dive
Best season
Year-round
Conservation
Least Concern
How to recognise it
Streamlined dark-blue/silver body with large conical teeth; mostly scaleless.
Behaviour
Reef-associated tuna around drop-offs, thilas and seamounts; powerful, fast-cruising predator.
Where to see it in the Maldives
Deeper reef edges and channel walls, e.g. South Malé (Cocoa Thila, Kuda Giri).
Conservation
Targeted by game and commercial fishing; large fish carry ciguatera risk.
IUCN · Least Concern
Watch them responsibly
Keep calm and let schools approach; avoid sudden movements and don't pursue.
One of the few tunas that lives tied to coral reefs rather than the open ocean.
The only member of its genus, endemic to the Indo-Pacific and tied to coral reefs rather than the open ocean.
Collective noun: a school of tuna
Want to dive with dogtooth tuna?
Our Maldives specialists match you to the right atoll, season and resort.
Sightings are typical, not guaranteed — encounters vary with season and conditions.