Tuna: An Amazing Fish
Sarah Park
Introduction
Tuna: The Fascinating Fish of the Sea
What organism can produce 30 million eggs that are born in 24 hours? The tuna is an animal with mighty movement, interesting body structure, and a droll diet. Swim along as the tuna continues its journey accompanied by the ocean water.
Movement of the tuna
When it comes to movement, the tuna is one of the fastest fish around. These fish are nomadic, that means they don’t spend their whole entire life in one place. They can swim up to 62 miles per hour. The extraordinary animal breathe oxygen from water, so they are constantly moving around. In addition to this, the tuna have warmed blood that helps them to swim strong and fast. Another fact is that this organism has the ability to change the position of its dorsal and pectoral fins to manage their swimming speed. To continue, these interesting fish are able to travel long distances in a short period of time. For instance, the tuna can swim across the Atlantic Ocean in 30 days! Because of this the tuna has to eat a lot for they swim consistently. As you can see, tunas have a dynamic way of movement.
Body structure and appearance
Did you know that tuna are rather large fish, though they are fast swimmers? This fish has a very engrossing body structure. I remember the time when I saw a picture of a tuna. It was a lot larger than I anticipated! The bluefin tuna can grow up to 14 feet, and can weigh up to 1,800 pounds. Still, the average weight ranges from 60 to 200 pounds. The largest species of these animals is the Atlantic tuna. The tuna has a special organ called the ‘retia mirabilia’. It is located near the muscles and helps maintain a body temperature warmer than the water around it. In addition, the retia mirabilia allows to prevent heat loss through its gills. Different kinds of physical characteristics help the tuna to accomplish different activities. Some examples are swimming fast, being able to maintain their current body temperature, and swimming into chillier areas that are low in oxygen. This organism has camouflage skin, their side is dark blue that blends in with the ocean. Their belly is silvery-white, which blends with the ocean when seen from below. Wouldn't you agree that the tuna has an interesting body structure and appearance?
Diet
This amazing creature of the waters is not so much of a popular predator, much less than a prey. It is a predator, feeding on smaller organisms such as mackerel and herring. Some other food for this large-sized predator is crustaceans, squids, and the menhaden. A fact that relates to this is that tunas eat a lot because moving around makes them hungry. When in search of food, this creature that lives in the water can dive up to 3,000 feet below the surface. Sometimes they search near the surface of the water for food. Can’t you picture this spectacular animal diving deep into the water, causing the liquid to ripple with force? Bluefins move to the north towards Nova Scotia, and fatten on their diet until October. Surely the tuna is a wondrous predator of the ocean.
Conclusion Paragraph
No one can disagree that the tuna is an attractive fish. This animal has an unusual movement, fascinating body structure, and an impressive diet. So, the next time you happen to spot a tuna, don’t think of it as an unimpressive and boring old fish, like I have. Always think of the tuna in a positive way, imagining the shimmering skin, its graceful movement attracting not just another fish, but humans too.