- Blackfin tuna
Taxobox
name = Blackfin tuna
status = LR/lc | status_system = IUCN2.3
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis =Actinopterygii
ordo =Perciformes
familia =Scombridae
genus = "Thunnus "
species = "T. atlanticus"
binomial = "Thunnus atlanticus"
binomial_authority = Lesson, 1831Blackfin tuna ("Thunnus atlanticus") is the smallest
tuna species in the "Thunnus " genus, generally growing to a maximum of 100cm (39inch es) in length and weighing 21kg (46 lbs). Blackfin have football shaped bodies, black backs with a slight yellow on the finlets, and have yellow on the sides of their body. Blackfin are only found in the western Atlantic from Cape Cod to Brazil.This tuna does not consume as much fish in its diet than other tunas and will actually eat the tiny larvae of
stomatopods (king shrimp ormantis shrimp ), true shrimp, and crabs, as well as fish larvae. It does, of course, also eat juvenile and adult fish and squid. They are a short-lived, fast-growing species; a 5 year old fish would be considered old. They reach sexual maturity at two years old and spawn in the open sea during the summer. Blackfin tuna are a warmer-water fish, preferring water temperatures over 68°F (20°C). What they lack in size, they make up for in numbers and willingness to bite.External links
* [http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Thunnus&speciesname=atlanticus FishBase info for black tuna]
* [http://www.thejump.net/fishlist/blackfin-tuna.htm Blackfin Tuna Identification]
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