Thunnus maccoyii
Endangered.
The Southern Bluefin Tuna is a large silver-white fish with a blue-black upper body, silver underside and yellow tinged fins. It is long and muscular, with small scales covering the skin. The keels near the tail are yellow in juveniles and black in adults.
Longtail Tuna (Thunnus tonggol) are similar in appearance to Southern Bluefin Tuna.
Southern Bluefin Tuna can reach a maximum length of 2.35 metres and can weigh around 200kg, but rarely exceed 100kg in Australian waters.
Southern Bluefin Tuna are highly migratory pelagic fish. In Australian waters they range from northern NSW around southern Australia to northwestern Australia. They tend to form large surface schools in offshore waters off southern Australia at certain times of the year.
Report a Southern Bluefin Tuna sighting
Southern Bluefin Tuna are found in oceanic waters normally on the seaward side of the continental shelf. They belong to the family Scombridae which also includes tuna, mackerel, bonito and wahoo. Worldwide the species is considered a single population. Southern Bluefin Tuna spawn at only one location in the tropical waters between Java and north-west Australia.