Family: Scombridae (Mackerels, tunas, bonitos) , subfamily: Thunninae
Order: Perciformes (perch-likes)
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
FishBase name: Yellowfin tuna
Max. size: 239 cm FL (male/unsexed; Ref. 40637); max. published weight: 200.0 kg (Ref. 26550); max. reported age: 8 years
Environment: pelagic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); brackish; marine ; depth range 1 - 250 m
Climate: tropical; 15 - 31°C; 45°N - 45°S, 180°W - 180°E
Importance: fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish: yes
Distribution: Worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas, but absent from the Mediterranean Sea. Highly migratory species, Annex I of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea (Ref. 26139).
Biology: An oceanic species occurring above and below the thermoclines. They school primarily by size, either in monospecific or multi-species groups. Larger fish frequently school with porpoises, also associated with floating debris and other objects. Feed on fishes, crustaceans and squids. It is sensitive to low concentrations of oxygen and therefore is not usually caught below 250 m in the tropics (Ref. 28952, 30329). Peak spawning occurs during the summer, in batches (Ref. 9684). Encircling nets are employed to catch schools near the surface (Ref. 9340). Marketed mainly frozen and canned (Ref. 9684), but also fresh (Ref. 9340) and smoked (Ref. 9987). Highly valued for sashimi (Ref. 26938).
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