World Tuna Day – 02nd May
World Tuna Day – 02nd May
Industry groups observe May 2 as World Tuna Day. This is a special day for all who are involved in tuna fishing, tuna conservation, and management of tuna to celebrate the wonders of tuna.
A tuna is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae (mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna (max length: 50 cm: 1.8 kg up to the Atlantic bluefin tuna (max length: 4.6 m, weight: 684 kg), which averages 2 m and is believed to live up to 50 years.
Tuna are highly migratory and travel long distances throughout the Pacific Ocean. They are found mostly in temperate ocean waters but also in the tropics and cooler coastal regions. Of the tunas, Pacific bluefin tuna have the largest geographic range.
Tuna, opah and mackerel sharks are the only species of fish that can maintain a body temperature higher than that of the surrounding water. An active and agile predator, the tuna has a sleek, streamlined body, and is among the fastest-swimming pelagic fish, the yellowfin tuna, is capable of speeds of up to 75 km/h.
Found in warm seas, the tuna is commercially fished extensively as a food fish, and is popular as a bluewater game fish. As a result of overfishing, some tuna species, such as the southern bluefin tuna, are threatened with extinction.
Tuna primarily eat shellfish, squid, and fish. Tuna that spend most of their time in deep waters tend to eat cephalopods and fish. However, all tuna will eat anything from this list if given the opportunity.
– Source: Internet –