Bigeye tuna

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The bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) is an important food fish, a type of tuna of the family Scombridae. It is found in the open waters of all tropical and temperate oceans, but not the Mediterranean Sea. Its length is between 60 and 250 centimetres.

Bigeye tuna are large deep-bodied streamlined fish with large heads and eyes. The pectoral fins are very long, reaching back as far as the second dorsal fin. There are 13 or 14 dorsal spines.

Body colour is dark metallic blue on the back with a grey-white belly and an irridescent blue band running along each flank. The dorsal and anal fins are yellow.

Bigeye tuna feed on a wide variety of fishes, cephalopods and crustaceans during the day and at night.

References

Uozumi (1996). [Thunnus obesus]. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Listed as Vulnerable (VU A1bd v2.3)
[Thunnus obesus (TSN 172428)]. Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 18 April 2006.
"[Thunnus obesus]." FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. January 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
Tony Ayling & Geoffrey Cox, Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand, (William Collins Publishers Ltd, Auckland, New Zealand 1982) ISBN 0-00-216987-8

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