Dogtooth tuna

A long, torpedo-shaped tuna with a big mouth full of large, cone-shaped teeth (no other tuna has them). Dark blue-black back, silver sides and belly with no stripes or spots, and a wavy lateral line. Its pectoral fins are short.

20–60 lb; fish of 100 lb and more are caught on the best reefs.

About 8 ft and over 280 lb (about 130 kg).

Fusiliers, small tunas, squid, rainbow runner and other reef fish.

Unlike most tunas, the dogtooth is a reef fish: it lives alone or in small groups along steep drop-offs, pinnacles and passes, and runs straight for the coral when hooked. One of the hardest-pulling fish in the sea.

Found from Queensland & the Great Barrier Reef, Northern Territory & Western Australia, Indonesia (Bali, Komodo, Raja Ampat, Sulawesi), Philippines, South Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea, Guam & Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, Japan & South Korea, China, Hong Kong & Taiwan, Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam), East Africa & Indian Ocean Islands, Red Sea & Arabian Gulf (Egypt, Oman, UAE) and India, Sri Lanka, Maldives & Pakistan. Outer reef walls, seamounts, deep passes and atoll drop-offs across the tropical Indo-Pacific, from East Africa and the Red Sea to French Polynesia; not in Hawaii. Hotspots include PNG, Vanuatu, Fiji, Indonesia, Guam's banks, the Coral Sea and the Andaman Sea.

Outer reef walls, seamounts, deep passes and atoll drop-offs across the tropical Indo-Pacific, from East Africa and the Red Sea to French Polynesia; not in Hawaii. Hotspots include PNG, Vanuatu, Fiji, Indonesia, Guam's banks, the Coral Sea and the Andaman Sea.

30–1,000 ft; usually 60–500 ft along drop-offs.

100–400 ft on the edges of walls and pinnacles.

All year; best in calm months, which differ by region (for example April to November in PNG and Indonesia).

Early morning and late afternoon, and around tide changes.

Tides matter less offshore; look for current lines, temperature breaks and bait. Around reefs and seamounts, the tide change turns the fish on.

Calm to moderate seas; light wind against the current stirs up bait. Watch for storms and cyclone season.

Live or dead fusiliers, bonito and small tuna drifted or slow-trolled along the drop-off.

Heavy speed jigs and knife jigs (7–14 oz), deep-diving trolling lures and big stickbaits on the surface.

Heavy jigging rod (PE 6–10) with a high-drag spinning or conventional jigging reel.

Heavy assist hooks (7/0–11/0) on jigs; 8/0–10/0 circle hooks for bait.

80–130 lb braid.

130–200 lb fluorocarbon or monofilament.

Drift the edge of the wall and drop jigs to the depth on the sounder, then jig fast back up. When it hits, put maximum drag on and wind hard: the first 20 seconds decide if you land it or lose it on the coral.

Sharks often take hooked dogtooth on the way up; if the sharks show up, move to another spot rather than feed them.

Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Good eating when fresh.

Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.

Firm white-pink meat, good raw as sashimi or poke when fresh, or grilled; bleed and ice it right away.

Big teeth and a very powerful fish: wear gloves, use a fighting harness and never wrap line around your hands. In some islands large dogtooth can carry ciguatera; ask locals before eating.

Few countries have bag limits for dogtooth, but many reefs are inside marine parks or village-owned areas. Fish with licensed operators, keep one for the table at most and release the rest. Licenses and rules differ by country across the Indo-Pacific: Australia's states, Asian countries and the Pacific islands all set their own bag limits, size limits and marine park zones. Check the local rules or fish with a licensed charter.

Dogtooth grow slowly and live on the same reefs for years, so heavy fishing can wipe out a reef's big fish. Release most of them.