Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Ordo: Perciformes
Family: Scrombidae
Genus: Thunnus
Species: T. thynnus
Binomial Name:
Thunnus thynnus
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Ordo: Perciformes
Family: Scrombidae
Genus: Thunnus
Species: T. thynnus
Binomial Name:
Thunnus thynnus
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, or also known as Bluefin Tuna is an endangered species of Tuna due to overfishing. Bluefin Tuna is commonly known as food fish, but beyond that, Bluefin Tuna is one of the most gorgeous, fastest and largest predators. They are categorized as predator fish and hunt for smaller fish. Their average life span is 15 years in the wild, but constantly decreasing because of the overfishing. Bluefin Tuna can weigh up to 250Kg and 2 meters long. Lots of fishermen hunt this type of fish along the western and eastern Atlantic ocean and the Mediterranean sea, is mostly because their expensive price. The price of Blufin Tuna reached over $1.125 per Kg. According to National Geographic, in January 2012, a 269Kg-Bluefin Tuna sold in Japan for a world record of $763.000. Most of Tuna hunters sell or shipped their catch mostly to Japan, or Japanese company. The Japanese are known for their love for sushi and sashimi, and Tuna is one of the favorites of all time, along with salmon. High demand of Tuna makes this fish more valuable and more endangered every day.
Bluefin Tuna is a warm-blooded, which is rare among the species of fish. This makes them comfortable swimming in the cold water around Newfoundland Iceland in the Atlantic Ocean. They can also swim in warmer water, especially to lay their eggs like in the Gulf of Mexico or in the Mediterranean Sea. Some scientists said that they are the most “beautifully-designed” predator fish. They can swim up to 70Km/h (43Mph). They can even retract their fins (upper fin and side fins) into a hole/slots located below the fins to reduce water friction and make they swim faster. They come in dark blue color on top of their body, and silvery color on the bottom of their body, and their fins are combination between silver and yellow. Thir body color makes them camouflage when they swim, whether seen from above or below them. Most of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna will lay their eggs around the Gulf of Mexico in mid-April until mid-June, with approximately 30million eggs per spawning season. Here is the map of Bluefin Tuna habitat around the Atlantic Ocean:
written by: Wafina Mario