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Thunnus orientalis (Temminck & Schlegel, 1844)
Pacific Bluefin Tuna
Family: Scombridae
Introduction to the Fish

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Species Information

Mean number of gill rakers 35.9. First ventrally directed parapophysis on vertebra number 8. Dorsal wall of body cavity has a narrow bulge with lateral concavity and wide lateral trough. Caudal keels dark.

Source: FishBase. Collette, B.B. 1995 . (Ref. 9340)

Biology

Species Biology

Epipelagic, usually oceanic, but seasonally coming close to shore. Tolerates ample temperature intervals. Forms schools by size, sometimes with other scombrids. Migrates between June and September in a northward direction along the coast of Baja California, Mexico and California. A voracious predator that feeds on a wide variety of small schooling fishes or squids, also crabs and less sessile organisms.

Source: FishBase. Collette, B.B. 1995 . (Ref. 9340)

Distribution

Distribution

North Pacific: Gulf of Alaska to southern California and Baja California and from Sakhalin Island in the southern Sea of Okhotsk south to northern Philippines. There are four substantiated records of this subspecies in the southern hemisphere: off Western Australia, southeast Pacific (37°11'S, 114°41'W) and Gulf of Papua.

Source: FishBase. Collette, B.B. 1995 . (Ref. 9340)

Status Information

Origin StatusProvincial StatusBC List
(Red Blue List)		COSEWIC
NativeSNRNo StatusNot Listed



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Additional Range and Status Information Links

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 University of Alaska Museum

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