Characteristics: The body of the Atlantic bluefin tuna is rhomboidal in profile and robust. The head is conical and the mouth rather large. The head contains a “pineal window” that allows the fish to navigate over its multiple thousands-of-miles range. The color is dark blue above and gray below, with a gold coruscation covering the body and bright yellow caudal finlets.The Atlantic bluefin tuna has been the foundation of one of the world’s most lucrative commercial fisheries. Medium-sized and large individuals are heavily targeted for the Japanese raw fish market, where all bluefin species are highly prized for sushi and sashimi.

Habitat: Atlantic bluefin are native to both the western and eastern Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. Atlantic bluefin have become extinct in the Black Sea. The Atlantic bluefin tuna is a close relative of the other two bluefin tuna species—the Pacific bluefin tuna and the southern bluefin tuna.

Habits: Bluefin dive to depths of 500 m (1,600 ft). They can reach speeds of 40 mph (64 km/h). The Atlantic bluefin tuna typically hunts small fish such as sardines, herring, and mackerel, and invertebrates such as squid and crustaceans.