Tuna

Thunnus albacares

The yellowfin tuna is a tuna species inhabiting the open, pelagic waters of tropical and subtropical oceans around the world.

Family

Scombridae

Avg Size

150-200 cm

Habitat

This is an epipelagic fish, living in the mixed surface layer above the thermocline. Acoustic tracking shows that, unlike the related bigeye tuna, it mostly stays within the upper 100 m, though one study found its depth shifts with the time of day: 90 percent of recorded depths were shallower than 88 m at night and shallower than 190 m during daylight. It crosses the thermocline only rarely, but is capable of diving much deeper.

Behaviour

Although it favours deep offshore water, yellowfin tuna will move closer to land where conditions suit. Mid-ocean islands such as the Hawaiian chain, other western Pacific groups, the Caribbean, the Red Sea's Bab-el-Mandeb, Indonesia, the Maldives, and Atlantic outposts like Ascension and Saint Helena often hold yellowfin feeding on baitfish concentrated near shore. They may also push well inside the continental shelf when water temperature, clarity and food allow, and they commonly travel in schools made up of similarly sized fish.

Tuna

Where & When to See It

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