A Pacific Bluefin Tuna Can Weigh Nearly 1,000 Pounds

The tuna in a can gives little idea of the fish it came from. NOAA Fisheries states that the maximum reported length and weight for the Pacific bluefin tuna are 3 meters, or 9.8 feet, and 450 kilograms, or 990 pounds. Those are record figures. A typical adult is about 1.5 meters long and weighs about 60 kilograms, or 130 pounds. Pacific bluefin reach maturity at about 5 years of age and can live up to 26 years, although the average lifespan is about 15. They are great travelers. NOAA Fisheries says that, of all the tunas, Pacific bluefin have the largest geographic range, migrating thousands of miles across oceans and international borders. That makes them hard to manage, because many nations fish them, so two international organizations coordinate the fishery across the Pacific.