Thunnini

Also known as tunny fish, tuna, tunny-fish

A tuna (: tunas or tuna) is a saltwater fish that belongs to the tribe Thunnini, a subgrouping of the Scombridae (mackerel) family. The Thunnini comprise 15 species across five genera, the sizes of which vary greatly, ranging from the bullet tuna (max length: , weight: ) up to the Atlantic bluefin tuna (max length: , weight: ), which averages and is believed to live up to 50 years.

OverviewAI-generated

Thunnini is a taxon at the tribe rank within the subfamily Scombrinae. Its common name is tuna, and it is associated with the family Scombridae. The group originated approximately 56 million years ago. The taxon was described in the 11th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica.

In food contexts, products categorized as tunas have an average energy content of 139 kcal. Nutritional values include 5 grams of fat, 0.9 grams of saturated fat, 1.2 grams of carbohydrates, 0.6 grams of sugars, 0.2 grams of fiber, 22.4 grams of protein, and 3.49 grams of salt. These items carry a nutriscore of a and a nova score of 3.

The subject is referenced by 1,979 other encyclopedia articles. There are 10 related records in PubMed and 1,272 products listed in the Openfoodfacts database under the tuna category.

Synthesized by Vinony from 24 facts across 4 sources: Wikidata, PubMed, Openfoodfacts, Vinony graph. Generated from structured data (not the Wikipedia text) and checked against those facts — may still contain errors.

Nutrition · Open Food Facts

Typical values per 100 g · averaged across 1,272 products

aNutri-Score

3NOVA · Processed food

Energy: 139 kcal
Fat: 5 g
— of which saturates: 0.9 g
Carbohydrates: 1.2 g
— of which sugars: 0.6 g
Fibre: 0.2 g
Protein: 22.4 g
Salt: 3.49 g

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via Open Food Facts · ODbL

Research

10 papers

Methodology and application of PCR-RFLP for species identification in tuna sashimi.Food science & nutrition · 2020
Distribution of estrogen sulfotransferase genes in tunas and their relatives.BMC research notes · 2025
Structural adaptations for ram ventilation: gill fusions in scombrids and billfishes.Journal of morphology · 2013
Product Authentication Using Two Mitochondrial Markers Reveals Inconsistent Labeling and Substitution of Canned Tuna Products in the Taiwanese Market.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021
Swimming performance studies on the eastern Pacific bonito Sarda chiliensis, a close relative of the tunas (family Scombridae) I. Energetics.The Journal of experimental biology · 2003

via PubMed

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Encyclopedic overview

24 sections

Contents

Etymology
Taxonomy
True species
Other species
Biology
Description
Physiology
Fishing
Commerce
Methods
Association with whaling
Association with dolphins
Aquaculture
Food
Fresh and frozen
Served raw
Canned
Nutrition
Mercury and health
Management and conservation
See also
References
Further references
Further reading

Tuna, opah, and mackerel sharks are the only species of fish that can maintain a body temperature higher than that of the surrounding water. An active and agile predator, the tuna has a sleek, streamlined body, and is among the fastest-swimming pelagic fish—the yellowfin tuna, for example, is capable of speeds of up to .

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Thunnini” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.