Bony fish · Scombriformes · Scombridae

Yellowfin Tuna

Thunnus albacares

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

Unlike the slow-growing, long-lived bluefin, it is a fast-growing, short-lived species that offsets its high natural mortality with extraordinary reproductive capacity.

Weight

up to 200 kg

Size

up to 2.4 m

Lifespan

7 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

School

Gathers in coordinated schools, typical of fish.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

OceanCarnivore Diurnal In schools Near Threatened Fish Ocean

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Fun facts

It can spawn every 2 days for much of the year in warm water.
It feeds on small fish, crustaceans and squid.
It lives in tropical and subtropical ocean waters worldwide, but is absent from the Mediterranean.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - bony skeleton (fish)
Habitat & environment: Tropical and subtropical ocean waters worldwide, absent from the Mediterranean
Birth weight: A pelagic egg; a tiny larva at hatching
Sexual maturity: 1-3 years (most commonly 2, at a length of ~100 cm)
Gestation / incubation: ~24 hours of egg development after external fertilisation
Litter / clutch size: From 37,956 to 6.2 million eggs per spawning, repeated every ~2 days through the season

Sources consulted: MarineBio; WWF Pacific Island Species Factsheet; FishBase; A-Z Animals; ScienceDirect (reproductive biology study); California Sea Grant; Grokipedia (Yellowfin tuna)