It plain stunk for most! All the news isn’t bad, as the fall action has started with False Albacore action off the beaches, and increased Striped Bass activity around the backwater bridges. A single female can lay several million eggs in one season.Mother Nature threw us a real screwball for the end of Summer Flounder season as wave heights to 6 feet made getting out of the inlets tough and battered the beaches for surf anglers working the suds. Larger females produce greater numbers of eggs. Water temperature or season typically dictates when the fish spawn. Reproduction of the Bluefin TunaĪll tuna reproduce via spawning, where both sexes release their eggs and sperm into the water, and fertilization occurs outside of the body. The schools also swim with other predatory fish species, such as other tuna, particularly during lengthy migrations. All three species live in groups known as schools. They swim constantly, moving swiftly through the water hunting their prey. These tunas have active, social behavior. Caretakers feed the fish a variety of bait fish, such as smelt, capelin, herring, sardine, and more. As social fish, they must also keep them in schools. Facilities must use massive tanks or pens to keep the fish, as they swim constantly and reach impressive sizes. Some people keep certain species in fish farm operations, and people sometimes keep these fish in public aquariums as well. They reach sizes much too large to keep in a home aquarium. No, you could not keep this fish as a pet. Humans have not domesticated these fish in any way.

The IUCN lists the Pacific species as Vulnerable, the Atlantic species as Endangered, and the Southern species as Critically Endangered. Overfishing has put immense pressure on each of the populations, and consequently, severe decline has occurred. People hunt these fish in both commercial fisheries and recreationally. Humans have heavily harvested this species as a source of food. Larger species prey on larger fish, while smaller species and individuals target smaller prey. They have primarily piscivorous diets, as they feed mostly on fish and squid.Īs each species lives in a different region, they each prey on different species of fish and squid. Diet of the Bluefin TunaĪll three species have carnivorous feeding habits, which means that they eat other animals. As their names suggest, the Pacific and Atlantic species utilize tropical and temperate waters in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The southern species lives across the globe in waters just north of Antarctic polar regions.

Distribution of the Bluefin TunaĮach species has its own specific distribution and range, but all three have cosmopolitan distribution. Their depth preference varies by species, some live in deeper waters than others. This means that they live in open water and do not generally rely on the sea floor. While each species has its own specific habitat preferences, all three species in this group have pelagic lifestyles. Fishing Pressure – All three species in this group face some level of fishing pressure that causes decline in their populations.Advantages of Endothermy – The ability to maintain their body temperature allows these fish to swim in colder waters, such as subarctic regions or deep beneath the surface, without losing speed or strength.This means that they can regulate their body temperature, just like mammals can. Endothermic – Unlike most other fish, which cannot regulate their body temperature, these fish have endothermic circulatory systems.These fish have several interesting traits and adaptations. long, and some specimens can exceed 500 lbs. At their largest, these fish reach over 8 ft. Each species has its own unique size and weight range.

Icefin bluefish