Skipjack tuna

The Moluccan fleet of the Fifth Expedition sailed to the Indonesian archipelago and back to the Netherlands over the course of two years: 1601 to 1603. Along the way, the crew would frequently catch fish from the oceans and seas that the ships traversed. Many of these were drawn in the journal of the Gelderland under the command of admiral Wolphert Harmensz, giving us insights into the great diversity of species the expedition encountered.

This drawing shows a skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), a member of the tuna family of fishes. It is commonly found worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters. Joris Joostensz. Laerle, artist on board of the Gelderland, likely drew these depictions of the fish in the journal of the flagship Gelderland.