Different species of the bluefin tuna
Bluefin tuna are the king of the tuna with the highest market value.
All the bluefin tuna were considered one species but they were diversified into three specified species the Atlantic bluefin tuna, pacific bluefin tuna and the southern bluefin tuna in the late 1990’s. All three have some distinctive characteristics.
Names for the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna – honmaguro, kuromaguro
The academic name for the Atlantic bluefin tuna is the Thunnus thynnus. The Atlantic bluefin tuna and the Pacific bluefin tuna usually live in the Northern hemisphere and may be referred to as the Northern bluefin tuna (they may be found in the Southern hemisphere as bluefin tuna migrates all over the world).
The Atlantic bluefin tuna is also called the giant bluefin tuna as it could grow the largest among the bluefin tunas.
The term ‘tunny’ usually refers to the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna as well. The Atlantic bluefin tuna is called the honmaguro(本鮪) which means ‘real tuna’ or the ‘kuromaguro’ (黒マグロ) that means black tuna(on the black back) in Japanese together with the Pacific bluefin tuna.
Distinctive characteristics of the Atlantic bluefin tuna
The Atlantic bluefin tuna is related to the Pacific bluefin tuna a lot more while the Southern bluefin tuna is related more with the bigeye tuna.
The Atlantic bluefin tuna grows the largest among all the tuna species. The largest Atlantic bluefin tuna recorded which is also the largest tuna ever caught weighed 1,496 pounds that is about 680kgs that was caught in Nova Scotia, Canada in 1979.
The U. S. National Marine Fisheries Service and the Smithsonian Institution supposes that the Atlantic bluefin tuna could grow up to 900 kgs. Atlantic bluefin tuna are native to the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea.
The Atlantic bluefin tuna has been consumed in Greek, Italy, Spain, Northern Africa and the Middle east and had the longest history with human consumption. Atlantic bluefin tuna have a dark blue-back on its dorsal side(back) while the ventral side have a white color(belly).
The patterns on the Atlantic bluefin tuna has colorless lines with colorless spots on its ventral (belly side) The second dorsal fin of the Atlantic bluefin tuna on the back is relatively a browner and redder colored and have short pectoral fins(side).
Names for the Pacific Bluefin Tuna – honmaguro, kuromaguro
Together with the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, the Pacific Bluefin Tuna is called the honmaguro(本鮪) or the kuromaguro’ (黒マグロ). The academic name for the Pacific bluefin tuna is the Thunnus orientalis.
The Pacific bluefin tuna could also grow up to 500kgs about 1000 pounds. Together with the Atlantic bluefin tuna, the Pacific bluefin tuna is most valuable in the market.
Distinctive characteristics of the Pacific bluefin tuna
The Pacific bluefin tuna is one of the most expensive fish that was ever caught. A Bluefin tuna caught in the Oma province of Japan that weighed 618 pounds(280kgs) was auctioned at the Tokyo Toyosu seafood market(豊洲市場, Toyosu Shijō) at 333.6 million Japanese Yen that is about 3.1 million dollars.
The Pacific bluefin tuna is found throughout the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean and it would even migrate to the Southern hemisphere.
The largest pacific bluefin tuna caught is recorded 450kgs that is about 1,000 pounds. The Pacific bluefin tuna have a black and dark blue colored back(dorsal side), however it also has some grey-green colors mixed together.
The bellies of the Pacific bluefin tuna have silver and grey band patterns. The Pacific bluefin tuna tends to have the smallest eye sizes compared with the other tuna species.
Names for the Southern Bluefin Tuna – Minami tuna
The academic name of the Southern bluefin tuna is the Thunnus maccoyii. Scientific evidence suggest that the Southern bluefin tuna is more related with the big eye tuna and the albacore tuna than the other bluefin tuna species.
Scientists also suggest that the Southern bluefin tuna resembled the bluefin tuna as a result of convergent evolution.
The Southern bluefin tuan is called the Indo maguro or the 南マグロ minami maguro as it is also found in the Indian Ocean and minami means south in Japanese.
Distinctive characteristics of the Southern bluefin tuna
The Southern bluefin tuna is much leaner than the Pacific and Atlantic bluefin tuna and has less oily contents.
The Southern bluefin tuna is found in the Southern hemisphere that gave its name; however, it is also found in the Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean as they migrate.
While all the bluefin tuna species have their population controlled to conserve numbers, the Southern bluefin tuna is an endangered species that limits commercial fishing.
The Convention for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) is signed by many countries to preserve the numbers of Southern bluefin tuna.
