Speed of a Tuna
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| Bibliographic Entry | Result (w/surrounding text) |
Standardized Result |
|---|---|---|
| Gorham, Bill. Tuna Trivia. Bongos Sportfishing. | "This advanced design enables the yellowfin to cruise at ten miles per hour, with bursts of speed that have been clocked in excess of 40 mph." | 18 m/s |
| "Tuna." World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book, 1993. | "The Northern Bluefin Tuna can swim as fast as 45 mph" | 20 m/s |
| Bluefin Tuna. FishFacts. New England Fisheries Development Association. | "The most common tuna to the northeast, the bluefin tuna can reach over 1000 lbs. and attain speeds over 50 mph" | 22 m/s |
| The Tuna. Viking Charters. | "With speeds of 60-80 kmph one of the fastest fish in the water, will give you the challenge of your life." | 17–22 m/s |
There are many different types of tuna, the most common and fascinating are the blue fin and yellow fin. Both reaches weight over 500 lbs. The tuna's body is built for speed and maneuverability. When moving at their average speed of 10 mph the tuna's forward dorsal, ventral and pectoral fins extend outward, helping the fish in making precise maneuvers. When the fish is at it's top speed of 60 to 80 kmph all it's forward fins fold into slots and two rows of stabilizing finlets will be utilized. The tuna's sleek body resembles a missile which contributes to it's ability to reach such high speeds.
The tuna is also one of the hardest fighting fish in the world. When fishing it, one can sometimes spend hours just getting it near the boat to finally reel up. The tuna is an avidly sought after fish for it's meat, and fished heavily for sport due to the incredible difficulty associated with catching a tuna via a pole and hook.
Isaac Klein -- 2000