U.S. wild-caught Atlantic or Pacific bigeye tuna is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.

Appearance

• Bigeye tuna are dark metallic blue on the back and upper sides and white on the lower sides and belly.
• The first fin on their back is deep yellow, the second dorsal and anal fins are pale yellow, and the finlets are bright yellow with black edges.
• Bigeye and yellowfin tuna look fairly similar. In fact, it’s hard to distinguish the two species without experience.
• Among other characteristics, the bigeye’s eyes are larger than the yellowfin’s and their finlets have black edges.

Biology

• Bigeye tuna grow fast and can reach about 6.5 feet in length.
• They live 7 to 8 years and are able to reproduce when they are 3 years old.
• Bigeye tuna spawn throughout the year in tropical waters and seasonally in cooler waters.
• They’re able to spawn almost daily, releasing millions of eggs each time.
• Eggs are found in the top layer of the ocean, buoyed at the surface by a single oil droplet until they hatch.
• Bigeye tuna feed near the top of the food chain, preying on fish, crustaceans, and squid.
• They are prey for many top predators, including larger tunas and billfish.

Where They Live

Range

• Bigeye tuna are found throughout the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, including the waters around the U.S. Pacific Islands and off southern California. 
• In the western Atlantic, they can be found from Southern Nova Scotia to Brazil.

Habitat

• Bigeye tuna are highly migratory and travel long distances throughout the ocean.
• They favor water temperatures between 55° and 84° F.
• Juvenile and small adult bigeye tuna school at the surface, sometimes with skipjack and juvenile yellowfin tunas.
• Schools of bigeye tuna may associate with floating objects or large, slow-moving marine animals such as whale sharks or manta rays.
• Bigeye tuna also group together near seamounts and submarine ridges.

Is Pacific Bigeye Tuna Sustainable?

U.S. wild-caught Pacific bigeye tuna or Atlantic bigeye tuna—while only a small percent (about 1 percent) of the total Atlantic-wide harvest—is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.

Availability

Year-round.

Source

• U.S. wild-caught from Massachusetts to Florida. (Atlantic)

• U.S. wild-caught from Hawaii, California, U.S. Pacific Island territories, and the high seas. (Pacific)

Taste

Bigeye tuna has a mild, meaty flavor, with a higher fat content than yellowfin and is preferred by sashimi lovers.

Texture

Firm and moist, with large flakes.

Color

Bigeye tuna meat has a reddish-pink color.

Health Benefits

Bigeye tuna is low in saturated fat and sodium and is rich in niacin, vitamins B6 and B12, selenium, and phosphorous.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 1; Serving Weight: 113 g; Calories: 130; Protein: 27 g; Total Fat: 2 g; Total Saturated Fatty Acids: 0.5 g; Carbohydrate: 0 g; Total Sugars: 0 g; Total Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Cholesterol: 45 mg; Selenium: 160% daily value; Sodium: 70 mg

FDA and EPA have issued advice regarding eating fish.

This advice can help those who might become or are pregnant or breastfeeding as well as parents and caregivers who are feeding children make informed choices when it comes to the types of fish that are nutritious and safe to eat.

Fish provide key nutrients that support a child’s brain development.

Fish are part of a healthy eating pattern and provide key nutrients during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and/or early childhood to support a child’s brain development:

• Omega-3 (called DHA and EPA) and omega-6 fats
• Iron
• Iodine (during pregnancy)
• Choline

Choline also supports development of the baby’s spinal cord. Fish provide iron and zinc to support children’s immune systems. Fish are a source of other nutrients like protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and selenium too.

Eating fish can provide other health benefits too.

Fish intake during pregnancy is recommended because moderate scientific evidence shows it can help your baby’s cognitive development.

Strong evidence shows that eating fish, as part of a healthy eating pattern, may have heart health benefits.

Healthy eating patterns that include fish may have other benefits too. Moderate scientific evidence shows that eating patterns relatively higher in fish but also in other foods, including vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, low- or non-fat dairy, lean meats and poultry, nuts, and unsaturated vegetable oils, and lower in red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, and refined grains are associated with:

• Promotion of bone health – decreases the risk for hip fractures
• Decreases in the risk of becoming overweight or obese
• Decreases in the risk for colon and rectal cancers

A healthy eating pattern consists of choices across all food groups (vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, and protein foods, which includes fish), eaten in recommended amounts, and within calorie needs. Healthy eating patterns include foods that provide vitamins, minerals, and other health-promoting components and have no or little added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating fish as part of a healthy eating pattern.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends:

• At least 8 ounces of seafood (less for children) per week based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
• Those who are pregnant or breastfeeding consume between 8 and 12 ounces per week of a variety of seafood from choices that are lower in mercury.

Choose a variety of fish that are lower in mercury.

While it is important to limit mercury in the diets of those who are pregnant or breastfeeding and children, many types of fish are both nutritious and lower in mercury.

This chart can help you choose which fish to eat, and how often to eat them, based on their mercury levels.

What is a serving? As a guide, use the palm of your hand.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding:

• 1 serving is 4 ounces

Eat 2 to 3 servings a week from the "Best Choices" list
(OR 1 serving from the "Good Choices" list).

Childhood:
On average, a serving is about:

• 1 ounce at age 1 to 3
• 2 ounces at age 4 to 7
• 3 ounces at age 8 to 10
• 4 ounces at age 11

Eat 2 servings a week from the “Best Choices” list.