The term 'tuna' ultimately derives from Middle Latin Thunnus (from Ancient Greek: θύννος, romanized: thýnnos, lit.'tunny-fish'), which is in turn derived from θύνω ( thýnō), meaning 'to rush, dart along'. As a result of overfishing, some tuna species, such as the southern bluefin tuna, are threatened with extinction. įound in warm seas, the tuna is commercially fished extensively as a food fish, and is popular as a bluewater game fish. Greatly inflated speeds can be found in early scientific reports and are still widely reported in the popular literature. An active and agile predator, the tuna has a sleek, streamlined body, and is among the fastest-swimming pelagic fish – the yellowfin tuna, for example, is capable of speeds of up to 75 km/h (47 mph). Tuna, opah and mackerel sharks are the only species of fish that can maintain a body temperature higher than that of the surrounding water. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna (max length: 50 cm or 1.6 ft, weight: 1.8 kg or 4 lb) up to the Atlantic bluefin tuna (max length: 4.6 m or 15 ft, weight: 684 kg or 1,508 lb), which averages 2 m (6.6 ft) and is believed to live up to 50 years.

Tunas (from top): albacore, Atlantic bluefin, skipjack, yellowfin, bigeyeĪ tuna is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae ( mackerel) family.

Tuna eyeballs