Tuna are several species of ocean-dwelling fish in the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two Scombridae is the family of the Mackerels Tunas and Bonitos and thus includes many of the most important and familiar Food fishes Thunnus is a genus of ocean-dwelling Fish in the family Scombridae, all of which are Tuna, although other tuna species are found in other Tunas are fast swimmers—they have been clocked at 70 km/h (43 mph)—and include several species that are warm-blooded. In Biology, a warm-blooded Animal species is one whose members maintain thermal Homeostasis; that is they keep their body temperature at a roughly constant Unlike most fish species, which have white flesh, tuna have flesh that is pink to dark red. The red coloring comes from tuna muscle tissue's greater quantities of myoglobin, an oxygen-binding molecule. Myoglobin is a single-chain globular Protein of 153 Amino acids containing a Heme ( Iron -containing Porphyrin) Prosthetic Oxygen (from the Greek roots ὀξύς (oxys (acid literally "sharp" from the taste of acids and -γενής (-genēs (producer literally begetteris the Some of the larger tuna species, such as the bluefin tuna, can raise their blood temperature above that of the water through muscular activity. This ability enables them to live in cooler waters and to survive in a wider range of circumstances. Some tuna species and fisheries have been overfished and some tuna fisheries are at risk of collapse. Overfishing occurs when Fishing activities reduce fish stocks below an acceptable level ^[1]

Contents 1 Commercial importance 2 Recreational importance 3 Canned tuna 4 Major tuna fleets 5 Tuna fishing and commercial whaling 6 Management and conservation 7 Association with dolphins 8 Methods of capture 9 Species 10 Nutrition and health 11 See also 12 References 13 External links

Commercial importance

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Tuna is an important commercial fish. Commercial fishing, also known as industrial fishing, is the activity of capturing Fish and other Seafood for commercial Profit, mostly Some varieties of tuna, such as the bluefin and bigeye tuna, Thunnus obesus, are threatened by overfishing, which dramatically affects tuna populations in the Atlantic and northwestern Pacific Oceans. The bigeye tuna, Thunnus obesus, is an important food Fish and highly sought after recreational game fish Overfishing occurs when Fishing activities reduce fish stocks below an acceptable level The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions Other areas seem to support fairly healthy populations of some of the over 48 different species of tuna —for example, the central and western Pacific skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis—but there is mounting evidence that overexploitation threatens tuna populations worldwide. The skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, is a medium-sized Perciform fish in the Tuna family Scombridae. The Australian government alleged in 2006 that Japan had illegally overfished southern bluefin by taking 12,000 to 20,000 tonnes per year instead of the their agreed 6,000 tonnes; the value of such overfishing would be as much as USD $2 billion. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Such overfishing has resulted in severe damage to stocks. "Japan's huge appetite for tuna will take the most sought-after stocks to the brink of commercial extinction unless fisheries agree on more rigid quotas, wildlife campaigners warned today" stated by the WWF. ^[2]

Increasing quantities of high-grade tuna are entering the market from operations that rear tuna in net pens and feed them a variety of bait fish. In Australia the southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii, is one of two species of bluefin tunas that are kept in tuna farms by former fishermen. The southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii, is a Tuna of the family Scombridae found in open Southern hemisphere waters of all the Its close relative, the northern bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus, is being used to develop tuna farming industries in the Mediterranean, North America and Japan. northern bluefin tuna ( Thunnus thynnus) or giant bluefin tuna, is a species of Tuna native to both the western and eastern Atlantic

Due to their high position in the food chain and the subsequent accumulation of heavy metals from their diet, mercury levels can be high in larger species such as bluefin and albacore. Food chains, also called food networks and/or trophic networks, describe the feeding relationships between species within an Ecosystem. Bioaccumulation occurs when an organism absorbs a toxic substance at a rate greater than that at ftudruinsubstance is lost Mercury (ˈmɜrkjʊri also called quicksilver or hydrargyrum, is a Chemical element with the symbol Hg ( Latinized hydrargyrum The albacore, Thunnus alalunga, is a type of Tuna in the family Scombridae. As a result, in March 2004 the United States FDA issued guidelines recommending that pregnant women, nursing mothers and children limit their intake of tuna and other types of predatory fish. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[3] However, most canned light tuna is skipjack tuna, which is lower in mercury. The skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, is a medium-sized Perciform fish in the Tuna family Scombridae. The Chicago Tribune reported that some canned light tuna such as yellowfin tuna^[4] is significantly higher in mercury than skipjack tuna, and caused Consumers Union and other health groups to advise pregnant women to refrain from consuming canned tuna. The Chicago Tribune is a major daily Newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and owned by the Tribune Company The yellowfin tuna ( Thunnus albacares) is a type of Tuna. It is found in open waters of Tropical and subtropical Seas worldwide Consumers Union is an independent nonprofit testing and information organization serving consumers in the United States. ^[5] The Eastern little tuna (Euthynnus affinis) has been available for decades as a low-mercury, less expensive canned tuna. However, of the five major species of canned tuna imported by the United States it is the least commercially attractive, primarily due to its dark color and more pronounced 'fishy' flavor. Its use has traditionally been restricted exclusively to institutional (non-retail) commerce.

Recreational importance

In the 1930s and the 1940s, bluefin tuna were abundant in the waters of Cuba, Bimini and Cat Cay just a few miles off the Florida coast, and were targeted by such fishermen as Ernest Hemingway and Habana Joe aboard his 1938 40-foot Wheeler named Pilar. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Bimini (ˈbɪmɨni is a district of the Bahamas composed of a chain of islands Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21 1899 — July 2 1961 was an American novelist short-story writer, and Journalist. Word spread quickly among fishermen around the world about the exciting new sport of big-game fishing. Big-game fishing, often referred to as offshore sportfishing, offshore gamefishing, or blue-water fishing is a form of recreational Fishing, Despite the growing popularity of the sport, however, the boats of the day were hardly ideal for the challenges of fighting the prized fish. Most boats used at the time were converted cabin cruisers, which were relatively slow and hard to manoeuvre.

The Rybovich family of South Florida eventually constructed a boat in 1946 that catapulted the sport and gave birth to a new industry. This boat, the Miss Chevy II, was the first sportfishing boat the world had ever seen. ^[6]

Merritt gained particular notoriety during the 1950s through the 1970s with its 37- and 43-foot custom sport fishing boats, which together with boats like those being built by Rybovich gave birth to a new category of fishing yachts and helped fuel the growth of big game tuna fishing in the United States and around the world.

Canned tuna

Canned tuna was first produced in 1903, and quickly became popular. Canning is a method of preserving food in which the food is processed and sealed in an airtight container ^[7] In the United States, only Albacore can legally be sold in canned form as "white meat tuna"; in other countries, Yellowfin is also acceptable as "white meat tuna. "

While in the early 1980s canned tuna in Australia was most likely to be Southern bluefin, as of 2003 it is usually yellowfin, skipjack, or tongol (labelled "northern bluefin"). The southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii, is a Tuna of the family Scombridae found in open Southern hemisphere waters of all the Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[7]

As tuna are often caught great distances from where they are processed, poor quality control may lead to spoilage. Tuna are typically eviscerated by hand, then pre-cooked for 45 minutes to three hours. The fish are then cleaned and filleted, packaged into cans, and sealed. This article refers to the cut of meat For other uses see Fillet. The second cooking of the tuna meat (called retort cooking) is carried out in the cans, this time for 2 to 4 hours. ^[8] This process kills any bacteria, but retains the histamine that can produce rancid flavors. Histamine is a Biogenic amine involved in local immune responses as well as regulating physiological function in the gut and acting as a Neurotransmitter The international standard sets the maximum histamine level at 200 milligrams per kilogram. Histamine is a Biogenic amine involved in local immune responses as well as regulating physiological function in the gut and acting as a Neurotransmitter An Australian study of 53 varieties of unflavored canned tuna found none to exceed the maximum histamine level, although some had "off" flavors. ^[7]

Australia standards once required cans of tuna to contain at least 51% tuna, but these regulations were dropped in 2003. ^[9] The remaining weight is usually oil or water. In the US, the FDA has regulations on canned tuna [2] (see part c). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Major tuna fleets

According to Foodmarket Exchange, total tuna catching was 3,605,000 tons in 2000, down about 5. 7 percent from 3,823,000 tons in 1999. The main tuna catching nations are concentrated in Asia, with Japan and Taiwan floating the main fleets. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. Other important tuna catching nations in Asia are Indonesia and South Korea. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː

Spain and France are also important tuna fishing countries, with their ships fishing primarily in the Indian Ocean. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface

Japan remains the main tuna fishing nation fishing in the Pacific. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions In 2000, total tuna caught by Japanese vessels was 633,000 tons, about 17 percent of the world tuna catch. Taiwan was the second biggest tuna producer at 435,000 tons, or about 12 percent of the world's total catch. Spain supplies most of the yellowfin to European canneries, accounting for 5. 9 percent of the total tuna catch, while Ecuador and Mexico dominate the Eastern Pacific Ocean. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America.

Tuna fishing and commercial whaling

Some maritime countries such as Nauru have argued that commercial whaling is a necessity for preserving stocks of tuna and the sustainability of that country's fishing fleet. Nauru, officially the Republic of Nauru, is an Island nation in the Micronesian South Pacific. Whaling is the hunting of Whales and dates back to at least 6000 BC Sustainability, in a general sense is the capacity to maintain a certain process or state indefinitely

Management and conservation

There are five main tuna fishery management bodies: the Western Central Pacific Ocean Fisheries Commission, the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas and the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT is an Intergovernmental organisation responsible for the management and conservation of Tunas ^[10] The five met together for the first time in Kobe, Japan in January 2007. is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture and a prominent port city in Japan with a population of about 1 For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. January 2007 is the first month of that year It began on a Monday and 31 days later ended on a Wednesday. Environmental organisations made submissions^[11] on risks to fisheries and species. The meeting concluded with an action plan drafted by some 60 countries or areas. Concrete steps include issuing certificates of origin to prevent illegal fishing and greater transparency in the setting of regional fishing quotas. The delegates are scheduled to meet at another joint meeting in January or February 2009 in Europe. ^[12]

Association with dolphins

Many tuna species associate with dolphins, swimming alongside them. Dolphins are Marine mammals that are closely related to Whales and Porpoises There are almost forty species of dolphin in seventeen genera. These include yellowfin tuna in the eastern Pacific Ocean, but not albacore or skipjack. The yellowfin tuna ( Thunnus albacares) is a type of Tuna. It is found in open waters of Tropical and subtropical Seas worldwide The albacore, Thunnus alalunga, is a type of Tuna in the family Scombridae. The skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, is a medium-sized Perciform fish in the Tuna family Scombridae. The reason for the association is believed to be the avoidance of dolphins by sharks, which are predators of tuna. Swimming near dolphins reduces the likelihood of the tuna being attacked by a shark. ^[13]

Fishing vessels can exploit this association by searching for pods of dolphins. They encircle the pod with nets to catch the tuna beneath. ^[14] The nets are prone to entangling dolphins, thus injuring or killing them. As a result of public outcry, methods have been made more "dolphin friendly", now generally involving lines rather than nets. However, there are neither universal independent inspection programs nor verification of "dolphin safeness" to show that dolphins are not harmed during tuna fishing. According to Consumers Union, the resulting lack of accountability means claims that tuna is "Dolphin safe" should be given little credence. There are various dolphin safe labels used for canned Tuna to show that the fish has been caught without harming or killing Dolphins However because there are various

Methods of capture

• Andalusian method of Almadraba, in which nets are used, creating a maze in which the tuna are secured. Almadraba tuna is Tuna caught by an elaborate and age-old Andalusian technique of setting nets in a maze that leads to a central pool called "copo"
• big-game fishing
• longline fishing
• purse seines - the major threat to dolphins
• pole and line

Species

There are eight tuna species in the Thunnus genus:

• Albacore, Thunnus alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788). Big-game fishing, often referred to as offshore sportfishing, offshore gamefishing, or blue-water fishing is a form of recreational Fishing, For other meanings of "longline" see Longline. Longline fishing is a commercial Fishing technique that uses hundreds or even Thunnus is a genus of ocean-dwelling Fish in the family Scombridae, all of which are Tuna, although other tuna species are found in other The albacore, Thunnus alalunga, is a type of Tuna in the family Scombridae. Abbé Pierre Joseph Bonnaterre (1752 &ndash September 20, 1804) was a French naturalist who contributed sections on Cetaceans,
• Yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares (Bonnaterre, 1788). The yellowfin tuna ( Thunnus albacares) is a type of Tuna. It is found in open waters of Tropical and subtropical Seas worldwide Abbé Pierre Joseph Bonnaterre (1752 &ndash September 20, 1804) was a French naturalist who contributed sections on Cetaceans,
• Blackfin tuna, Thunnus atlanticus (Lesson, 1831). Blackfin tuna ( Thunnus atlanticus) is the smallest Tuna species in the Thunnus genus generally growing to a maximum of 100cm (39 Inches René Primevère Lesson (March 20 1794 - April 28 1849 was a French surgeon and naturalist.
• Southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii (Castelnau, 1872). The southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii, is a Tuna of the family Scombridae found in open Southern hemisphere waters of all the François Louis Nompar de Caumont La Force, comte de Castelnau' ( 25 December 1810 – 4 February 1880) was a French naturalist
• Bigeye tuna, Thunnus obesus (Lowe, 1839). The bigeye tuna, Thunnus obesus, is an important food Fish and highly sought after recreational game fish
• Pacific bluefin tuna, Thunnus orientalis (Temminck & Schlegel, 1844). Pacific bluefin tuna, Thunnus orientalis are some of the biggest and fastest fish in the Pacific Ocean. Coenraad Jacob Temminck ( March 31, 1778, Amsterdam - January 30, 1858, Lisse) was a Dutch aristocrat and Hermann Schlegel ( June 10, 1804 - January 17, 1884) was a German Ornithologist.
• Northern bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus (Linnaeus, 1758). northern bluefin tuna ( Thunnus thynnus) or giant bluefin tuna, is a species of Tuna native to both the western and eastern Atlantic Carl Linnaeus (Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as, May 23 new style (13 May old style 1707 who laid the foundations for
• Longtail tuna, Thunnus tonggol (Bleeker, 1851). Pieter Bleeker ( July 10 1819, Zaandam - January 24 1878, The Hague) was a Dutch Medical doctor

Species of several other genera (all in the family Scombridae) have common names containing "tuna":

• Skipjack tuna Katsuwonus pelamis (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Slender tuna Allothunnus fallai (Serventy, 1948)
• Bullet tuna Auxis rochei (Risso, 1810)
• Frigate tuna Auxis thazard (Lacepede, 1800)
• Kawakawa (little tuna or mackerel tuna) Euthynnus affinis (Cantor, 1849)
• Little tunny (little tuna) Euthynnus alletteratus (Rafinesque, 1810)
• Dogtooth tuna Gymnosarda unicolor (Rüppell, 1836)
• Black skipjack tuna Euthynnus lineatus (Kishinouye, 1920)

Nutrition and health

Canned tuna is a prominent component in many weight trainers' diets, as it is very high in protein and is easily prepared. Scombridae is the family of the Mackerels Tunas and Bonitos and thus includes many of the most important and familiar Food fishes The skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, is a medium-sized Perciform fish in the Tuna family Scombridae. Carl Linnaeus (Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as, May 23 new style (13 May old style 1707 who laid the foundations for The slender tuna, Allothunnus fallai, is a species of Tuna, the only species in the genus Allothunnus, found circumglobally in the southern oceans The frigate tuna or frigate mackerel, Auxis thazard thazard, is a Subspecies of Tuna, in the family Scombridae, found Little Tunny is a small tuna fish found in the tropic and sub-tropic regions of the world The dogtooth tuna is a large fast-swimming fish in the family Scombridae. Weight training is a common type of Strength training for developing the strength and size of Skeletal muscles It uses the Force of gravity Proteins are large Organic compounds made of Amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by Peptide bonds between the Carboxyl

A can of tuna in oil contains about the Adequate Intake (AI) of the US Dietary Reference Intake of vitamin D for infants, children, men, and women aged 19–50 - 200 UI. The Dietary Reference Intake (or DRI is a system of Nutrition recommendations from the Institute of Medicine (IOM of the US National Academy of Sciences Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble Prohormones, the two major forms of which are vitamin D2 (or Ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (or In Pharmacology, the International Unit is a unit of measurement for the amount of a substance based on measured Biological activity or effect

Canned tuna can also be a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, of which it sometimes contains over 300 mg per serving. n −3 fatty acids (popularly referred to as ω−3 fatty acids or omega-3 fatty acids) are a family of unsaturated Fatty acids that

A January 2008 report conducted by the New York Times has found potentially dangerous levels of mercury in certain varieties of tuna, reporting levels "so high that the Food and Drug Administration could take legal action to remove the fish from the market. Mercury (ˈmɜrkjʊri also called quicksilver or hydrargyrum, is a Chemical element with the symbol Hg ( Latinized hydrargyrum "^[15]

See also

• Earth Island Institute

References

• Clover, Charles. 2004. The End of the Line: How overfishing is changing the world and what we eat. Ebury Press, London. ISBN 0-09-189780-7
• FAO Species Catalog Vol. 2 Scombrids of the World. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125, Volume 2. FIR/S125 Vol. 2. ISBN 92-5-101381-0

External links

• Nutritional benefits of tuna
• The slide show - How to cut Maguro (tuna)
• U.S. Code of Federal Regulations 21CFR161 Fish and Shellfish
• Nauru and sustainable tuna fishing:[3]
• nytimes.com, Tuna Fish Stories: The Candidates Spin the Sushi
• ap.google.com, Japanese Sushi Lovers Shrug at Mercury

Nauru, officially the Republic of Nauru, is an Island nation in the Micronesian South Pacific.

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