Last Updated on March 12, 2024 by themubbi63
Most of us are so used to seeing tuna on our plates and in cans that we don’t stop to think about the size of the actual fish. When we do think about it, the things we learn might be quite surprising. Did you know that tuna belongs to the mackerel family and were categorised under the subgroup of Thunnini? Also, there’s many different kinds of tuna and size depends completely on which kind of tuna you’re referring to.
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Size
Bluefin tuna happens to be the biggest kind of tuna that there is. For many years, people believed that the Atlantic bluefin tuna and the Pacific bluefin tuna were the same species but different subspecies. Now we know they’re different species altogether.
The Atlantic bluefin tuna happens to be the largest tuna in the world. It can reach truly enormous sizes and weight. The highest recorded weight of an Atlantic bluefin tuna was 1508 lb or 684 kg. Commonly reaching the length of 5 or 6 feet (152 – 183 cm), there have been examples that were 15 feet long.
| Animal | Length | Weight |
| Atlantic Bluefin Tuna | 6.6 – 15 feet (201 – 457 cm) | 496 – 1508 lb (225 – 684 kg) |
Pacific Bluefin Tuna Size
They aren’t as big as the Atlantic variety and don’t live as long. However, they can reach pretty impressive sizes themselves. Measuring about 6.6 feet or 201 cm on average, the largest tuna was 9.8 feet (299 cm) long. It weighed 990 lb or 450 kg.
These tuna live for about 15 to 26 years and can vary widely in their size.
| Animal | Length | Weight |
| Pacific Bluefin Tuna | 4.9 – 9.8 feet (150 – 299 cm) | 130 lb – 990 lb (60 – 450 kg) |
Albacore Tuna Size
They’re one of the smaller and more common tuna species found throughout the world. Albacore tuna is the kind that was used in canned tuna for a very long time. They’re a very migratory species and they mostly eat squid (unlike the other tuna species which eat a variety of food).
The albacore has a more streamlined body and definitely doesn’t grow to the monstrous sizes that the Atlantic and Pacific bluefins do. Ranging from 1.6 feet (51 cm) to 4.5 feet (140 cm), they’re the smallest tuna in the bluefin family. The maximum weight of an albacore tuna is 60 kg (133 lb).
| Animal | Length | Weight |
| Albacore Tuna | 1.6 – 4.5 feet (51 – 140 cm) | 88 – 133 lb (40 – 60 kg) |
Related Article: Ocean Sunfish Size Explained & Compared With Others
Bigeye Tuna Size
The bigeye, the last of the major bluefin tunas, is a shortlived species that lives in very deep waters. The low light of the deep seas gives it very good vision, hence its name. Their bodies are unique in another way – their blood can hold a lot of oxygen which allows them to dive deeper and for longer periods.
As far as size is concerned, bigeyes are closer to yellowfins than bluefins. They grow to a maximum length of 8.2 feet (250 cm) and weight of 400 lb or 180 kg.
| Animal | Length | Weight |
| Bigeye Tuna | 5.9 – 8.2 feet (180 – 250 cm) | 220 – 400 lb (100 – 180 kg) |
Yellowfin Tuna Size
Yellowfin tuna are differentiated from the bluefin tuna because of the bright and beautiful color of their fins. They’re one of the fastest swimmers in the ocean and can gain astonishing speeds. They’re significantly smaller than the Pacific and Atlantic bluefins but are still highly targeted by fishermen the world over.
The record for the biggest yellowfin tuna says that it was 7.8 feet (239 cm) in length and weighed over 440 lb or 200 kg. However, the average is about 4.9 feet (149 cm) in length. They commonly weigh around 80 lb or 36 kg.
| Animal | Length | Weight |
| Yellowfin Tuna | 4.9 – 7.8 feet (149 – 239 cm) | 80 – 440 lb (36 – 200 kg) |
Blackfin Tuna Size
Blackfin tuna, despite its name, isn’t actually a separate group and belongs to the yellowfin group as well. This is the smallest of the tunas in the world. But that doesn’t make them easy to catch. They’ve got a reputation of being pretty feisty (or as feisty a fish can be) and they migrate long distances.
The blackfin only weighs around 49 lb or 22.4 kg. By fish standards, that’s not exactly tiny but given the other examples in the species it’s pretty small. Their average length is 2.3 feet (70 cm) but the longest blackfin was 3.6 feet or 110 cm.
| Animal | Length | Weight |
| Blackfin Tuna | 1.6 – 3.6 feet (50 – 110 cm) | 7 – 49 lb (3.2 – 22.4 kg) |
Longtail Tuna Size
The longtail tuna, which was once also known as northern bluefin tuna, is found mostly around the coastlines of Australia and New Zealand. However, it’s not a true bluefin so the name has fallen out of favor now.
While bigger than the blackfin and the albacore, this species is also on the smaller side. It’s got a longer lifespan and grows at a slower rate. Reaching a maximum length of 4.8 feet or 146 cm, these fish usually weigh around 22 – 33 lb (10 – 15 kg) but can be as much as 79 lb or 36 kg.
| Animal | Length | Weight |
| Longtail Tuna | 2.3 – 4.8 feet (70 – 146 cm) | 22 – 70 lb (10 – 36 kg) |
Conclusion
And that is all that you need to know about the size of tuna fish. I hope this article was helpful and that you took something valuable from it.