We’ve talked a lot about sharks.
Now it's time to talk tuna.

Firstly, let's get this straight: tuna is not just one type of fish! As with sharks, the word 'tuna' simply refers to the 'group of species' (in-which there are over 48 distinct kinds of tuna). When you reach for a can of 'tuna' it could be any of a number of commercially caught species of tuna including: Skipjack, Yellowfin, Bigeye, or Albacore.

Tuna are fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. They are very fast swimmers and can reach speeds of 70 kilometres or 43 miles per hour!! Weirdly, some tuna species are warm blooded. This means they have the ability to maintain a higher body temperature compared to the surrounding water. This unique ability allows tuna to live in very cold parts of the ocean. Tuna flesh is often pink to dark red. The red coloring comes from an increased quantity of myoglobin, an oxygen-binding molecule within their muscles. The extra myoglobin is what allows tuna to reach such lightning fast speeds.

Bluefin tuna is at the pinnacle of evolution among fish. These creatures can be described as one giant perfect muscle and can swim at speeds of 40 miles per hour, accelerate faster than a Porsche, produce millions of eggs and live for up to twenty years.¹

Maybe you are a little more familiar with
some of the names on the following list:

The Thunnus genus includes 9 species:

• Albacore, (Thunnus Alalunga)
• Yellowfin Tuna, (Thunnus Albacares)
• Blackfin Tuna, (Thunnus Atlanticus)
• Southern Bluefin Tuna, (Thunnus Maccoyii)
• Bigeye Tuna, (Thunnus Obesus)
• Pacific Bluefin Tuna, (Thunnus Orientalis)
• Northern Bluefin Tuna, (Thunnus thynnus)
• Longtail Tuna, (Thunnus Tonggol)
• Karasick Tuna, (Thunnus Karasicus)

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

• Slender Tuna, (Allothunnus Fallai)
• Bullet Tuna, (Auxis Rochei)
• Terriowipet Tuna, (Auxis Tongolis)
• Frigate Tuna, (Auxis Thazard)
• Kawakawa (Little Tuna or Mackerel Tuna), (Euthynnus Affinis)
• Little Tunny (Little Tuna), (Euthynnus Alletteratus)
• Black Skipjack Tuna, (Euthynnus Lineatus)
• Dogtooth Tuna, (Gymnosarda Unicolor)
• Skipjack Tuna, (Katsuwonus Pelamis)
• Lineside Tuna, (Thunnus Lineaus)

1 – 'The End Of The Line. How Overfishing Is Changing The World And What We Eat.' Charles Clover, (2006). There's also a film with the same title featuring Clover, for more check out End Of The Line