Marine Life

Yellowfin tuna

Reendhoo uraha kanneli

Thunnus albacares

Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) is the second most important species in the Maldivian fishery, accounting for roughly 10% of the total recorded catch. Most of these are juveniles of about 30-60 cm fork length, which are caught by pole and line; however, increasing numbers of adults are being taken by livebait handline.

Details

§ 01

size: Max. 2 m
color: Metallic steel blue on back to silvery below. Belly crossed by about 20 broken lines of light spots which curve posteriorly. Dorsal and anal fins and finlets bright yellow.
order: Perciformes
family: Scombridae
image url: https://assets.explore.mv/fishes/thunnus-albacares.png
habitat and biology: This species inhabits the epipelagic and oceanic zones, both above and below the thermocline. It forms schools based on size, and may also mix with other species. Its diet consists of a wide variety of fishes, crustaceans, and cephalopods.
distinctive characters: The dorsal fins are close together, with the first having prolonged spines anteriorly, giving a strongly concave outline. The first dorsal fin has 13-14 spines, while the second dorsal and anal fins are extremely tall in large specimens, with 7-10 finlets behind them. The pectoral fins are moderately long, usually reaching beyond the origin of the second dorsal fin, and there are no striations on the ventral surface of the liver, with the right lobe being elongated.