The Varying Sizes of the Tuna

All About the Tuna

Of all the fish species that are meant to be used as food, perhaps the most popular is the tuna. The tuna is a kind of fish characterized by its many, razor like fins, as well as its whitish or silvery underside.

Tuna belong to a sub species of the mackerel, the skip jacks, and the bonitos. Some of the most common species of tuna include the yellow fin tuna, the Atlantic tuna, the black fin tuna, the blue fin tuna, and the big eye tuna.

The Tuna As Food

When used as food, we all know that we can utilize this fish as either fresh or canned. The good thing about tuna recipes is that they kind of bank on the fact that the this fish is actually a rich source of Omega 3, which is a fatty acid that is basically good for the heart. To add to that, tuna is also a healthy source of vitamin D as well as of protein. It has also been shown in studies that this fish can help cure breast cancer, arthritis, and even Alzheimer's disease.

Tuna can be used as a healthy filling for sandwiches, or as an ingredient in pasta sauces. It can be broiled, grilled, fried, or even steamed, and it can also be used in soupy dishes. Tuna is also a popular ingredient for salads and other "green" dishes.

However, there are some people who tend to develop allergies from eating tuna. There are even some who develop kidney stones or gout. It also concerns some people to find out that tuna actually sometimes has mercury content.

On Tuna Sizes

For the yellow fin tuna as well as the big eye tuna, they usually have the capacity to grow to up to 6 feet or about 190 centimeters in their lifetime. For tuna species that are most often found along the Atlantic ocean, such as the black fin tuna and the skip jack, the maximum size measurement is up to 90 centimeters or three feet only.

Now, if we were to ask just what species of tuna is the biggest in terms of size, that would be the blue fin tuna. Truth be told, the bluefin tuna is actually even known as the largest living bony fish in the world, because it can grow to lengths longer than ten feet and more than one half ton. Typically, the blue fin tuna can be found in measurements ranging from 15 inches up to about 6 1/2 feet. The biggest ones are known to reach a measurement of more than 77 inches and weights of above 300 pounds. These blue fin tuna species are found in the Atlantic Ocean. So far, the biggest blue fin tuna ever caught was one that weighted almost 1,500 pounds. That catch was made way back 197.