Difference between bonito and bluefin tuna

These three species are part of the genus Thunnus . Of all of them, the bluefin tuna ( Thunnus thynnus ) is the most appreciated. It is a fish with a robust body and a bluish color. From a food point of view, it is a fish with a very consistent flesh with an intense and penetrating flavor, with a color that tends to red. Bluefin tuna is a species that was already captured since ancient times by the Romans on the Cadiz coast using the trap technique, which is still used today. Currently, its fishing has increased because in countries like Japan it is highly consumed. In Spain, during the summer it approaches the waters of the Cantabrian Sea, where it reaches a size that ranges between 20 and 50 Kg, but it is angling, one by one, because it is a more respectful technique with the environment and does not affect its meat, since the tuna suffer from less stress.

However, in this other AgroCorrn article we explain that bluefin tuna is in danger of extinction , the causes and what actions we can take to improve this situation.

The clear or yellowfin tuna ( Thunnus albacares ) is a fish that lives at sea, in tropical and subtropical waters around the world, where fishing and its weight varies between 10 and 60 kg . From a food point of view, its meat is lighter or white in color and more delicate than that of bluefin tuna. Its flavor is intermediate between that of the northern bonito and that of the red or bighorn tuna.

The albacore or albacore ( Thunnus alalunga ) is a fish that migrates to the waters of the Cantabrian Sea to feed, regain strength and reproduce. It is precisely in these waters where people fish using traditional gear between the months of July and October. It weighs between 15 and 18 kg (the smallest of the three), although commercial pieces are usually between 5 and 7 kg. From a food point of view, its meat has a light pink color, a firm, tender and juicy texture and a high content of so-called good fats.

It is also found within the Scombridae family, but is part of the Sarda genus . It is known as bonito ( Sarda sarda ) properly speaking, which is fished in the south and is not the one known as northern bonito ( Thunnus alalunga ), which is actually a type of tuna. It differs from tuna mainly in a longer pectoral fin and two oblique dark stripes on both sides of the dorsal area.

It is fished in waters of the eastern Pacific, the tropical Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the coast of Australia in medium-depth waters, being, therefore, a fish of temperate and tropical waters, which approaches the coast in spring and is caught above all during the summer. Three species are differentiated: the austral, the beautiful monkey and the Eastern Pacific. It is a small silver fish, its maximum size being 10 kg and 90 cm in length, although the usual size is 1 to 3 kg and 30 to 50 cm.

Of these species, the most valued are those of the northern bonito and bluefin tuna . The meat of the bluefin tuna can reach 250 kg in weight, much greater than that of the bonito. Regarding the color of their meat, that of the bluefin tuna is intensely red, while that of the bonito is pink, turning whiter when cooked. At the food level, the meat of the bonito is of high quality, since it is very rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, and those of tunas such as bluefin tuna, can accumulate high levels of mercury, a highly toxic substance for the human being.

Now that we know how to differentiate them well, we should be aware that the abusive fishing suffered by these animals due to their price on the food market is leading these species to extinction . At the moment, as we have mentioned above, bluefin tuna is already on the way to its disappearance due to humans , and may become part of the list of extinct species by man in the near future.

If you want to read more articles similar to Difference between bonito and bluefin tuna , we recommend that you enter our Wild Animals category .