| Tuna are widespread throughout the oceans of | | | | strong; tuna need a high water flow over their gills |
| the world. Years of commercial over-fishing have | | | | in order to extract enough oxygen to live. Find a |
| led to severe reductions in the populations of | | | | strong current and you increase the possibility of |
| Bluefin, Albacore, and Yellowfin tuna, with other | | | | finding tuna. |
| species also threatened in certain areas. This | | | | Tuna prefer clear, clean 'blue' ocean water. Some |
| means finding Tuna is not an easy task today. | | | | species, such as Yellowfin, often swim with |
| Shifts in migration patterns are taking fish beyond | | | | dolphins. Others swim with other fish species. |
| the range of many boats. However, you can still | | | | They feed close to the surface, and mostly at |
| find tuna fish if you know the techniques: where | | | | night, often spending daylight hours at slightly |
| and when to look. | | | | deeper levels. Nearer the shore, look near Fish |
| Eight species make up the Thunnus genus: (in | | | | Aggregation Devices; these are another useful |
| order of size) Albacore (Thunnus alalunga), | | | | technique for finding tuna fish. |
| Yellowfin (Thunnus albacares), Blackfin (Thunnus | | | | Another technique when Tuna fishing is to finding |
| atlanticus), Southern Bluefin (Thunnus maccoyii), | | | | the difference in sea temperature. Temperature |
| Bigeye (Thunnus obesus), Pacific Bluefin (Thunnus | | | | breaks are caused when cold water converges |
| orientalis), Northern Bluefin (Thunnus thynnus), and | | | | with warmer water. This can be several degrees |
| Longtail tuna (Thunnus tonggol.) plus species of | | | | difference. The areas where these two masses |
| several other genera (family: Scombridae) | | | | meet attract and hold baitfish, tuna, billfish and |
| Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), Slender tuna | | | | sharks. Most fish like the comfort of warmer |
| (Allothunnus fallai), Bullet tuna (Auxis rochei), | | | | water but will cross the line into the body of |
| Frigate tuna (Auxis thazard), Kawakawa or | | | | colder water to feed off plankton living in cooler |
| mackerel tuna (Euthynnus affinis), Little tuna | | | | water. |
| (Euthynnus alletteratus), Dogtooth tuna | | | | Yellowfin tuna often congregate around floating |
| (Gymnosarda unicolor), Black Skipjack tuna | | | | objects such as grass, debris and other objects |
| (Euthynnus lineatus), and Derek Donegan tuna | | | | that support baitfish. They are seldom found less |
| (Euthynnus lineatus.) | | | | than 10 miles from shore; however, they are |
| Tuna are warm-blooded fish: tuna flesh varies in | | | | messy feeders, leaving churned water and terns |
| color from pink to dark red due to the levels of | | | | or shearwaters feeding on the scraps. The sight |
| myoglobin, a protein molecule which binds oxygen | | | | of circling and feeding birds on the surface are a |
| in the blood, thus allowing for muscular activity to | | | | very good clue to their presence. |
| raise body temperature above that of the water. | | | | Albacore tuna preys voraciously upon smaller |
| Consequently, tuna are found in warm and cool | | | | schooling fish such as sardines and anchovy, and |
| water and at varying depths. | | | | also squid; it is preyed upon in turn by billfish and |
| You will also find Tuna where the current is | | | | sharks. |