Thunnus albacares

Yellowfin Tuna- Thunnus albacares

Habitat Tropical and Subtropical Seas, with the exception of the Meditteranean

Range Thunnus albacares can travel very long distances. Migratory patterns have shown distances traveled from the US Pacific Coast to Japan. They are pelagic fish found from 1-250 m deep. They can be found worldwide besides in the Mediterranean Sea.

Description Yellowfin tuna reach a total length of 2.08 m and a maximum weight of 200 kg. The average life span is 8 years. They have very long dorsal and anal fins, and moderately long pectoral fins. Yellowfin tuna are black to dark blue in color with a yellow or silver belly. Their dorsal fin, anal fins and finlets are bright yellow. Yellowfin tuna are extremely fast swimmers reaching speeds up to 80 kph. They are able to streamline their body for faster swimming by folding their fins into special indentations.

Ecological Notes Thunnus albacares feed on fishes, crustaceans, and squid

Personal Information When we went to the Oregon Inlet Charters docks we saw a boat take out a bunch of fish they caught deep sea fishing. They caught about ten yellowfin tuna. I have also been on numerous charters where we use a parachute/kite to catch tuna, this is when you fly a kite/parachute with a fish at the end of the line. The fish hovers at the top of the water and the tuna jumps out to grab the bait. This helps assure that you have in fact caught a tuna or other desirable fish instead of something else.

Journal Articles To read more about Distinct Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares) Stocks Detected in Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) Using DNA Microsatellites please see:

Aguila, Roselyn D., et al. "Distinct Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus Albacares) Stocks Detected In Western And Central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) Using DNA Microsatellites." Plos ONE 10.9 (2015): 1-14. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 May 2016.

To read about Vertical Movements, Behavior and Habitat Utilization of Adult Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares) Tagged in West Philippine Sea, Mindoro Island, Philippines. please see:

MACUSI, EDISON D., RICARDO P. BABARAN, and JOSE T. INGLES. "Vertical Movements, Behavior And Habitat Utilization Of Adult Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus Albacares) Tagged In West Philippine Sea, Mindoro Island, Philippines." IAMURE International Journal Of Ecology & Conservation 15.(2015): 283-300. Environment Complete. Web. 2 May 2016.

Information obtained from: http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=139 "Yellowfin Tuna, Thunnus albacares ~ MarineBio.org." MarineBio Conservation Society. Web. Accessed Monday, May 02, 2016. . Last update: 1/14/2013 2:22:00 PM ~ Contributor(s): MarineBio

Contributed by Samantha Carson 2016

Back to Bio 412 Marine Biology Field Guide