Big Eye Tuna

Availability & Seasonality

Product Forms & Yields

Shelf Life & Quality Control

About the same range as the Yellowfin - from a few pounds to more than 300, but most taken off Florida have run 50-100 pounds. World record 435 pounds;

Thon Obese (French), Gorssaugenthun (German), Tonno Obeso (Italian), Patudo (Spanish), Mebachi (Japanese)

The open sea. As the bigeye proves, it stays deep most of the time and so may not be as rare as as the low number of angling encounters would indicate. Occur in areas where water temperatures range from 13°-29°C, but the optimum is between 17° and 22°C. Variation in occurrence is closely related to seasonal and climatic changes in surface temperature and thermocline. Juveniles and small adults school at the surface in mono-species groups or mixed with other tunas, may be associated with floating objects. Adults stay in deeper waters. Eggs and larvae are pelagic. Feed on a wide variety of fishes, cephalopods and crustaceans during the day and at night

Confusingly similar in looks to the Yellowfin TunaÐeven down to the yellow inlets edged in black. The gold stripe common to the Yellowfin is usually absent, but may be dimly present. The eye is indeed larger, but this might not be readily apparent without a side-by-side comparison. A scientist might have to examine the liver to be perfectly sure of identification with some specimens, but anglers seldom have to worry, simply because the Bigeye is a rare catch, whereas the Yellowfin is common in many areas. Dorsal spines (total): 13 - 14; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14-15; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 14; Vertebrae: 39. A large species, deepest near the middle of the first dorsal fin base. Lower sides and belly whitish; a lateral iridescent blue band runs along the sides in live specimens. The first dorsal fin is deep yellow, the second dorsal and anal fins are light yellow, the finlets are bright yellow edged with black.

Are multiple spawners that may spawn every 1 or 2 days over several months. They spawn over periods of the full moon. Spawn throughout the year in tropical waters

Summary of Distribution: Atlantic, Indian and Pacific: in tropical and subtropical waters. Absent in the Mediterranean. Highly migratory species
Note: Distribution range colors indicate degree of suitability of habitat which can be interpreted as probabilities of occurrence (fishbase.org)

	Pelagic Longline This fishery uses a longline to catch a variety of pelagic fish on the high seas such as tuna and swordfish. A deep-set longline is used to primarily target tuna and a shallow-set longline is used to target swordfish or mixed species including bigeye, Albacore and yellowfin tuna. Baited hooks are attached to a line that floats in the ocean using buoys and flagpoles.

Not targeted but sometimes hits trolled lures or shows up in a chumline; see Yellowfin Tuna.