# Tuna (*Thunnus*) Tunas are fast-swimming fish found in oceans around the world. They have sleek bodies and are known for their speed and agility in the water. - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Marine - **Also known as:** Albacore Tuna, Skipjack Tuna, Yellowfin Tuna ![Tuna](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424760/objects/6485.jpg) ## Appearance The Tuna has a sleek, torpedo-shaped body with metallic blue-black on its back and silvery-white sides. Its distinctive crescent-shaped tail fin, along with small finlets trailing its dorsal fin, are key for fast, efficient movement through water. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Actinopterygii - **Order:** Perciformes - **Family:** Scombridae - **Genus:** Thunnus ## Interesting facts - Some tuna can dive deeper than a skyscraper is tall! - Tuna hatch from tiny eggs so small you can barely see them! - Tuna migrate across entire oceans, making them true global travelers! - Tunas never stop swimming, even when they are sleeping! ## Special abilities - **Warm Blooded Hunter:** Tuna can keep their body warm because of special blood vessels that help them hunt in cold ocean depths. - **Speed Demon:** Tuna has a sleek, torpedo-shaped body that helps them slice through water incredibly fast to chase down prey. - **Endurance Swimmer:** Tuna can migrate thousands of miles because of their efficient oxygen use and constant swimming motion. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 50-350 cm - **Weight:** 10-680 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-40 years - **Swim Speed:** 70 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 500 m - **Water Type:** Saltwater ## Diet & Feeding Tunas are swift hunters that eat smaller fish, squid, and crustaceans in the open ocean. - **Age differences:** Young tuna eat smaller plankton and tiny fish, switching to larger prey as they grow. - **Primary Foods:** Mackerel, Sardines, Squid, Crustaceans, Lanternfish - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Orca](https://www.snappit.app/explore/orca) (*Orcinus orca*) — Large orcas hunt adult tuna. - **Hunts:** Mackerel (*Scomber scombrus*) — Tuna are important predators of mackerel schools. - **Eaten by:** Humans (*Homo sapiens*) — Humans fish tuna globally for food. - **Depends on:** Copepod (*Calanus finmarchicus*) — Young tuna feed on copepods and other zooplankton. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Thermoregulating](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/thermoregulating): Thermoregulating organisms maintain a stable internal body temperature despite fluctuations in the external environment. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low When near tunas, always observe from a safe distance and avoid touching them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Tuna? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Tuna? 50-350 cm ### How much does Tuna weigh? 10-680 kg ### How long does Tuna live? 15-40 years ### What does Tuna eat? Tunas are swift hunters that eat smaller fish, squid, and crustaceans in the open ocean. ### How fast can Tuna swim? 70 km/h ### Where is Tuna usually found? Marine ### How does Tuna hunt? Pursuit ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [Tuna: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tuna)