Tuna - Biology Of Tuna, Tuna Fisheries
spp species waters mackerels
Tuna are large, fast-swimming bony fish (teleosts of the family Scombridae) found in waters of the world's oceans. All species of tuna are economically important, usually supporting a large commercial fishery, and sometimes a local sport fishery. The largest species is the bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), which can achieve a length of 13 ft (4 m) and weigh up to 1,760 lb (800 kg). Populations of bluefin tuna occur in temperate and warm waters throughout the world. Smaller species of tunas include the albacore tuna (T. alalunga), yellowfin tuna (T. albacares), skipjack tuna (Euthynnus pelamis), bonitos (Sarda spp.), frigate mackerels (Auxis spp.), Spanish mackerels (Scomberomorus spp.), and the wahoo (Acanthocybium spp.).
Additional Topics
A remarkable aspect of the physiology of tuna in the genus Thunnus is their ability to maintain a body temperature significantly warmer than that of the ambient seawater. For example, the bluefin tuna can maintain a core body temperature of 75-95°F (24-35°C), even in water as cold as 43°F (6°C). However, unlike typical endothermic creatures such as mammals and birds, th…
Tuna support large commercial fisheries wherever they are abundant, and are thus economically important fish. However, as with any fishery, stocks of tuna can be easily exhausted through excessive harvesting. Indeed, most if not all stocks of tuna have been significantly degraded by overharvesting. This problem can be illustrated by the case of the fishery for bluefin tuna in the western Atlantic …
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