---
title: "What the sources say about the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "45 claims from the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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---

# What the sources say about the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (*Thunnus thynnus*)

> 45 claims from the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Atlantic Bluefin Tuna](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/atlantic-bluefin-tuna/)

## Thunnus thynnus (Atlantic bluefin tuna). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Thunnus_thynnus/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| weightKg: 250 | Average mass 250 kg (note: task #1096: ADW's average mass; Heavy class, where the name guess gave Light. NOAA's 2,000 lb is a maximum. Not in a curated matchup) |

## Western Atlantic Bluefin Tuna. NOAA Fisheries.

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/western-atlantic-bluefin-tuna

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A tuna up to 13 feet long | They are the largest of the tuna species and can reach up to 13 feet and 2,000 pounds. (note: tagline; NOAA's current page used over Florida Museum's older 458 cm / 684 kg record) |
| Juveniles eat fish, squid and crustaceans; western Atlantic adults feed mainly on baitfish such as herring, bluefish and mackerel | Juveniles eat fish, squid, and crustaceans, and adults feed mainly on baitfish such as herring, bluefish, and mackerel. (note: stats.diet; reviewer split juveniles from adults (fish/squid/crustaceans is NOAA's juvenile diet); adults scoped to the western stock, the subject of the NOAA page) |
| NOAA's page on the western Atlantic stock says these fish live near the surface in temperate waters but often dive 500 to 1,000 meters | Atlantic bluefin tuna live near the surface in temperate waters but frequently dive to depths of 500 to 1,000 meters. (note: scoped to the page's western stock) |
| can migrate thousands of miles across an entire ocean. | They can migrate thousands of miles across an entire ocean. |
| It is the largest of the tuna species. | They are the largest of the tuna species |
| It has a torpedo-shaped body, dark blue-black on the back and white on the lower sides, where colorless lines alternate with rows of colorless spots. | Atlantic bluefin tuna have large, torpedo-shaped bodies ... They have dark blue-black on the back and white on the lower sides and belly. Atlantic bluefin tuna h ave colorless lines alternating with rows of colorless spots on their lower sides. (note: source text has a stray space in 'have') |
| Its second back fin is reddish brown. | The second fin on their back (dorsal fin) is reddish brown |
| NOAA reports it can reach up to 13 feet and 2,000 pounds. | can reach up to 13 feet and 2,000 pounds (note: Appearance section states these for the species ('separate this species from other members of the tuna genus')) |
| In the western Atlantic stock, NOAA says, bluefin grow more slowly than other tuna and can live 20 years or more. | Bluefin tuna grow more slowly than other tuna. They have a long lifespan, up to 20 years or more (note: NOAA's current page used over Florida Museum's 'approximately 15 years' and AnAge's 15 years (wild)) |
| In the western Atlantic, NOAA says, juveniles eat fish, squid and crustaceans, and adults feed mainly on baitfish such as herring, bluefish and mackerel. | Juveniles eat fish, squid, and crustaceans, and adults feed mainly on baitfish such as herring, bluefish, and mackerel. |
| Sharks, large fish and marine mammals, including killer whales and pilot whales, feed on bluefin in turn. | Sharks, marine mammals (including killer whales and pilot whales), and large fish feed on bluefin tuna. |
| Western fish spawn mainly in the Gulf of Mexico, from mid-April to June. | They spawn from mid-April to June, mainly in the Gulf of America. (note: NOAA uses the US name 'Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico)'; the page uses the international name, Gulf of Mexico, for worldwide readers) |
| NOAA says a female in the western Atlantic stock can produce up to 10 million eggs a year. | Females can produce up to 10 million eggs a year. |
| The eggs are fertilized in the water and hatch in about 2 days. | The eggs are fertilized in the water column and hatch in about 2 days. |
| Fishing on the western stock is managed under harvest quotas set by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. | For 2023, the stock is being managed under ICCAT Recommendation 21-10 that is responsive to scientific advice. (note: NOAA: 'For 2023, the stock is being managed under ICCAT Recommendation 21-10'; quotas claim below; reviewer cut 'still' (a 2026 present-state claim from a 2023 line); ICCAT name expanded from the same page) |
| The Biggest Tuna | They are the largest of the tuna species (note: heading) |
| Predator and Prey | Bluefin tuna are top predators. (note: heading; prey side from the predators claim) |
| managed under harvest quotas set by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas | ICCAT implemented harvest quotas for the western Atlantic bluefin tuna stock in 1982. |

## Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus). Florida Museum of Natural History, Discover Fishes.

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/thunnus-thynnus/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Subtropical and temperate Atlantic, from Labrador to northern Brazil in the west and from Norway to the Canary Islands in the east, including the Mediterranean Sea | In the western Atlantic Ocean, it is found from Labrador, Canada, to northern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico. In the eastern Atlantic Ocean, it is found from Norway to the Canary Islands. (note: stats.habitat; Florida Museum's Pacific sentences left out; climate band claim below; Mediterranean claim below) |
| Subtropical and temperate Atlantic | The bluefin tuna is distributed throughout the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans in subtropical and temperate waters. (note: stats.habitat; reviewer replaced 'Temperate' alone, since the range runs to northern Brazil and the Canary Islands) |
| can cross the Atlantic in under 60 days | Other tagging studies have shown that a bluefin can cross the Atlantic in less than 60 days. (note: stats.superpower) |
| Tagging studies show that a bluefin can cross the Atlantic in less than 60 days. | Other tagging studies have shown that a bluefin can cross the Atlantic in less than 60 days. |
| The Florida Museum says bluefin commonly reach 200 cm, which is 78 inches. | Bluefin commonly attain a size of 78 inches (200 cm). |
| Bluefin show strong schooling behavior while they are young. | Bluefin tuna exhibit strong schooling behavior while they are young. |
| Atlantic bluefin range from Labrador to northern Brazil on the western side of the ocean, and from Norway to the Canary Islands on the eastern side. | In the western Atlantic Ocean, it is found from Labrador, Canada, to northern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico. In the eastern Atlantic Ocean, it is found from Norway to the Canary Islands. |
| The Florida Museum of Natural History says bluefin can swim at speeds up to 45 mph, which is 72.5 kph. | They can swim at speeds up to 45 mph (72.5 kph). (note: the museum's 'bluefin' page covers Atlantic and Pacific bluefin, so the figure stays attributed to 'bluefin') |
| Its body is deepest near the pelvic fins and tapers significantly toward the base of the tail. | The body is deepest near the insertion of the pelvic fins, and tapers significantly to the caudal peduncle. (note: 'base of the tail' for 'caudal peduncle'; replaces a NOAA sentence the FAQ's ref did not state) |
| Compared with other tunas, its head is long and somewhat pointed, and its eye is small. | Compared to other tunas, the head is long and somewhat pointed, and the eye is small. |
| Tagging studies show that a bluefin can cross the Atlantic in less than 60 days. | Other tagging studies have shown that a bluefin can cross the Atlantic in less than 60 days. (note: vibe.reason) |
| tags: fast | They can swim at speeds up to 45 mph (72.5 kph). (note: task #1096: the tag definition is high-velocity locomotion slicing through water) |

## Block et al. (2001). Migratory Movements, Depth Preferences, and Thermal Biology of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna. Science.

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1061197

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| dives past 1,000 meters and keeps a warm body | Bluefin tuna dive to depths of >1000 meters and maintain a warm body temperature. |
| Keeps a warm body, dives past 1,000 meters | Bluefin tuna dive to depths of >1000 meters and maintain a warm body temperature. (note: stats.superpower; crossing claim below) |
| Electronic tags on Atlantic bluefin recorded dives to depths of more than 1,000 meters, and the fish maintained a warm body temperature. | Bluefin tuna dive to depths of >1000 meters and maintain a warm body temperature. (note: Block 2001 abstract only: 'tagging of Atlantic bluefin tuna with implantable archival and pop-up satellite archival tags') |
| tags: deep-diver | Bluefin tuna dive to depths of >1000 meters and maintain a warm body temperature. (note: task #1096) |

## Ciezarek et al. (2018). Phylotranscriptomic Insights into the Diversification of Endothermic Thunnus Tunas. Molecular Biology and Evolution.

https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msy198

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| The **Atlantic bluefin tuna** (*Thunnus thynnus*) is endothermic, conserving heat made by its own metabolism to hold its body or tissues above the temperature of its surroundings. | conserving internally generated, metabolic heat to maintain body or tissue temperatures above that of the environment (note: 'tunas' are named among the endothermic fishes; 'surroundings' for 'environment') |
| Bluefin tunas are renowned for keeping their swimming muscle, gut, brain and eyes at elevated temperatures. | They are renowned for their endothermy, maintaining elevated temperatures of the oxidative locomotor muscle, viscera, brain and eyes (note: 'bluefin tunas' scope as in the paper; abstract background, not a finding of the study; 'swimming muscle' for 'oxidative locomotor muscle', 'gut' for 'viscera') |
| A Fish That Runs Hot | They are renowned for their endothermy (note: heading) |

## Richardson et al. (2016). Discovery of a spawning ground reveals diverse migration strategies in Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1525636113

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Fish from the eastern stock spawn in the Mediterranean. | an early-maturing eastern stock, which spawns in the Mediterranean Sea |
| Larval surveys found a spawning ground in the Slope Sea, between the Gulf Stream and the northeast United States continental shelf. | We use larval collections to demonstrate a bluefin tuna spawning ground in the Slope Sea, between the Gulf Stream and northeast United States continental shelf. |
| Where It Roams and Spawns | an early-maturing eastern stock, which spawns in the Mediterranean Sea (note: heading; see body claims) |

## Cermeño et al. (2015). Electronic Tagging of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus, L.) Reveals Habitat Use and Behaviors in the Mediterranean Sea. PLOS ONE.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0116638

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| including the Mediterranean Sea | the Mediterranean is clearly an important habitat for this species |
| The Mediterranean Sea is a home too: tagging indicates that part of the population stays there for much of the year. | part of the bluefin tuna population remains in the Mediterranean basin for much of the year |

## Collette et al. (2021). Thunnus thynnus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021: e.T21860A46913402.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2021-2.rlts.t21860a46913402.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Least Concern | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). (note: stats.conservationStatus; GBIF copy of the Red List) |
| The IUCN Red List rates it Least Concern. | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). |