Herrman, R. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna [digital image]. Retrieved from https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2017/10/the-story-of-atlantic-bluefin
If you don’t blink you just might be able to see it fly by in the water! In that fleeting glimpse is none other than Thunnus thynnus or the Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna. Prior to my research endeavors I knew only of its taste, popularity, and its strange ability to be the few warm blooded fish in the ocean. These fish are a migratory species as they hunt on the surface of the vast, empty, open ocean. They follow where their food leads them throughout the Atlantic as there is not much other nutrients in the surface layers of the ocean that they can consume. Their primary spawning grounds are in the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean Sea, areas full of rich nutrients and fellow fish (Nickson). Unfortunately, it is a very popular meat for certain dishes that sell for very high prices ($1.75 million for one fish at one point). This popularity has led to the species being over-fished, and reaching an endangered level! Luckily, many laws have been made to protect their livelihood and from pirate fishing. Organizations like World Wildlife Fund have been helping protect tuna with the use of tracking tags to further study and understand them (WWF).
“Tuna in” for more facts on the fascinating Atlantic Bluefin Tuna!
Citations:
- Nickson, A. (2017, October 3). The Story of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna. Retrieved from https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2017/10/the-story-of-atlantic-bluefin
- WWF. (2019). Bluefin Tuna. Retrieved from https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/bluefin-tuna
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