[Spanish American: perh. related to L. thunnus, tunnus, tunny, cf. med.L. tunnina ‘thunnus falsus’ false tunny (Du Cange).] Name in California for the tunny. Cf. TON4.
1900. Westm. Gaz., 29 June, 8/1. The tuna, one of the gamest fighting fish for its size in the sea.
1901. Field, 23 Nov., 812/2. There is no doubt whatever as to the identity of the horse mackerel of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the tuna of Catalina, and the thon, thuna, or tunny of the Mediterranean.
