Tuna

While browsing the web, I found these interesting facts and want to share it with every one:

Coming in as one of the largest species of tuna, the yellowfin tuna can reach weights greater than three hundred pounds. It is however smaller then the bluefin tunas of both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

There have been reports of yellowfin tuna up to 95 inches and 441 pounds. According to the "IFGA" the "International Game Fish Association" the record for yellowfin tuna is 388 pounds.

This record was set in 1977. Two other reports in later years stand at 399.6 and 395 pounds. They do hold the record as the largest fish caught with rod and reel.

The bright yellow of the tails of the yellowfin tuna both as anal, dorsal and with the tiny fins in between makes them stand out and thus the name yellowfin tuna. The anal fins and second dorsal fins can reach almost to the tail. The pectoral fins, compared to the bluefin tuna, are much longer, yet shorter than those of the albacore. The dark blue of the body which turns to silver on the belly give the fish a distinguishing characteristic.

The yellowfin tuna live in the shallower parts of the ocean. Most will stay in the shallow parts of the ocean by night and deeper by day. This is attributed to the search for food. Usually the yellowfin tuna will stay in the top one hundred meters of water. There have been reports of the fish diving as teem as 1100 meters. Yellowfin tuna is a fish that will stay within it's own school.

Mainly located in the deeper areas of the oceans they inhabit, they will sometimes migrate to shallower waters if the conditions are right. They will normally be found near the Hawaiian Islands, Indian Ocean, Caribbean and Western Pacific. At these areas the fish are feeding on the bait fish that are closer to the shoreline. Basically they go where the food is.......

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The caudal fin of the yellowfin tuna is distinctly notched in an "M"chape at the centre of its fork.  Behind the second dorsal fin and the anal fin, the body profile of the yellowfin tuna is somewhat flat.  Theventral surface of the liver is smooth and the right lobe is longer than the central lobe.
Yellowfin tuna adults are distinguished by having a moderately longpectoral fin that is one third to one quarter the body fork length.  In juveniles there are about 20 broken pale lines crossing the lower sides.  In large fish, the second dorsal and anal fins may be exceedingly elongated and bright yellow.  Yellowfin tuna less than 75cm fork length (10kg whole weight) may be difficult to distinguish from small bigeye tuna. 

A beautiful and colourful tuna.  Blue to steel black above, silver to silvery gold on the flanks, silvery white below.  In fresh fish a band of bright gold or iridescent blue (sometimes both) runs along the upper flank, separating the dark back from the lighter belly area.
The stomach area sometimes carries oval, colourless patches and vague broken vertical bars of white.  These are more obvious in juveniles.
The yellowfins fins are bright yellow.  The finlets, in particular are canary yellow with black margins.
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