Bigeye Tuna

The Bigeye Tuna (scientific name: Thunnus obesus), is a well known food fish. It is also a very
popular game fish amongst the recreational fishing community. Bigeye Tuna are mainly found in
the tropical belts of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans or where the water is warm.
However, they are not found in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Bigeye Tuna are large fish having a streamlined and deep bodied structure with large eyes
and head that’s why they are known by the name ‘Bigeye Tuna’. They measure up to 250
centimeters (98 inches) in length and weigh about 400 pounds (180 Kg). The largest Bigeye
Tuna ever caught was an all-tackle angling record holder of 392 pounds (178 Kgs). As is their
size and weight, so are their pectoral fins, large and long reaching back to the second dorsal fin.
The Bigeye Tuna display about 13-14 dorsal spines.

The Bigeye Tuna travel great distances across the ocean in search of food adjusting
themselves to the continuously changing behavioral patterns of their preys. They have been
known to move around in groups in search of food and hence multiple Bigeye Tuna can be
spotted at once.

The Bigeye Tuna have adapted their bodies in such a way so that they can survive in tough
environments. Cold and oxygen deficient subsurface waters are a favorite with the Bigeye Tuna
for forage. Their blood has the special ability to adjust to such low-oxygen environments.
Moreover, the vision of the Bigeye Tuna is also very strong to adjust to such low-light situations.
While foraging in cold subsurface waters, the heart of the Bigeye Tuna also has the capability to
adjust to the outer cold surroundings. However, in spite of having such capabilities, the Bigeye
Tuna have to return to warmer surface waters to warm themselves up periodically.

The lifespan of a Bigeye Tuna is up to 12 years which is comparatively longer than its closely
related peer, the Yellow Tuna. The Bigeye Tuna attains its sexual maturity at the age of four
years. Every year during the months of June and July, spawning takes place in the northwestern
regions of the tropical Atlantic. Apart from this, the Gulf of Guineaalso acts as an Atlantic
nursery for the Bigeye Tuna during the months of January and February.

Satellite tagging has confirmed that during the daytime, the Bigeye Tuna dive deep below the
sea surface to approximately 500 meters and spend prolonged periods of time in cold water
which is up to 5 degrees Celsius, in search of preys in the deep scattering layers of the ocean.

The Bigeye Tuna are caught using various methods such as the purse seine and fish
aggregator devices. However, increased fishing activity in the central and western Pacific, which
accounts for about 54 percent of the world’s tuna (approximately1.3 million tons annually), is
taking its toll on the species. Sometimes, juvenile Bigeye Tuna are caught before they reach
their breeding age which poses as a big threat to the species and is a growing concern among
the fishery managers, sport fishermen and scientists. In 2010, the Bigeye Tuna was added to
the seafood red list by Greenpeace International.