At a glance
- IUCN category
- VU · Vulnerable
- Animal group
- Fish
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- Last verified
Conservation overview
The bigeye tuna is a large, deep-diving tuna prized for sashimi. It is assessed as Vulnerable.
It can dive to cooler, deeper water than many other tunas to find food.
Range & habitat
Tropical and subtropical open oceans worldwide.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Overfishing
- Catch of juveniles around fish-aggregating devices
- High fishing pressure
Why it matters
A valuable, deep-diving ocean predator under heavy fishing pressure, the bigeye tuna is a key test of sustainable management for high-seas fisheries.
Sources
Sources for Bigeye Tuna
- IUCN Red List — look up Bigeye Tuna (authoritative status)
- FishBase
Frequently Asked Questions
What is special about the bigeye tuna?
It can dive deeper and tolerate cooler water than many tunas, following prey into the ocean's twilight zone, and its large eyes suit these dim depths.
Why is the bigeye tuna Vulnerable?
Published assessments cite overfishing, including catches of juveniles around fish-aggregating devices, and high overall fishing pressure. See the IUCN Red List.
Last updated: