Another large fish from Atlantic
Canada is the bluefin tuna. It is one of the twelve members in the
family of mackerels and tunas. It can weigh as much as 910 kg and reach
lengths of over 4 metres. The bluefin is distinguished by its large size,
short pectoral fins, absence of stripes, and variations in the dorsal
fins. Found in the warmer waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the bluefin
ranges from Newfoundland and southern Labrador to the West Indies and,
in the eastern Atlantic, from northern Norway to the Mediterranean.
Great travellers, bluefin adults are found in schools of fewer than
fifty and swim near the surface, frequently jumping clear of the water.
They come to Canada from as far away as the Gulf of Mexico and the
Straits of Florida.
The bluefin possess the unusual ability to maintain a body temperature
of 10°-15°C warmer than that of the seas in which it swims,
allowing it to move into the colder Canadian waters in search of fish
stocks. To do this, it must consume up to 25 percent of its own weight
each day. The bluefin feeds on schooling species such as herring, sauries,
capelin, lanternfish, barracudinas, mackerel, hakes and squid, and is
the prey of killer and pilot whales. Caught by purse seine, trapnet and
longline, the bluefin is canned or sold fresh. Fishing for bluefin is
also a favorite of deep-sea anglers.
Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna
Bluefin Tuna in Scandinavian Waters
Trade and Environment Database
Tuna Research & Conservation Center
Central Fisheries Board
Department of Marine Resources
New England Aquarium
What are Bluefin Tuna
Giant Bluefin Tuna in the Atlantic
Iglo (french)
