Pacific bluefin tuna
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An illustration based on the real animal.
A little discovery to share.
Pacific bluefin tuna can tuck a dorsal fin into a pocket on the back.
THE REAL WORLD
The real Pacific bluefin tuna
- Scientific name
- Thunnus orientalis
- Japanese name
- クロマグロ（ホンマグロ）
- Group
- Ocean animals
- Order
- Scombriformes
- Family
- Scombridae
- Genus
- Thunnus
Also known in Japan as “hon-maguro,” it spends its life swimming nonstop in the open ocean, traveling mainly around the Pacific in the Northern Hemisphere.
It swims with its mouth and gill covers open, breathing by passing seawater from its mouth over its gills.
It swallows small fish, squid, and other prey whole. Its small teeth hold the food in its mouth so it can't escape.
How the Pacific bluefin tuna lives
They use their eyes to locate prey. They sometimes swim in schools with other kinds of tuna. They migrate with the seasons as water temperatures change.
University of Michigan Animal Diversity WebBasic data
- Size
- Total length: up to 3 m
- Diet
- Small fish, squid, and other foods
- Range
- Tropical to temperate Pacific Ocean
Where the Pacific bluefin tuna has been recorded
Records: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY 4.0 records, retrieved 2026-11-07). Map: Natural EarthSee the records on GBIF
Watch wild animals from a distance. Do not touch or feed them, and take care of the places where they live.
Names around the world
- 日本語
- クロマグロ（ホンマグロ）
- 简体中文
- 太平洋蓝鳍金枪鱼
- 繁體中文
- 太平洋黑鮪
- 한국어
- 참다랑어
- Español
- Atún cimarrón
- Français
- Thon Bleu du Pacifique
- Português (Brasil)
- Atum-oriental
- Italiano
- Tonno del Pacifico
- Bahasa Indonesia
- Tuna sirip biru Pasifik
- Tiếng Việt
- Cá ngừ vây xanh Thái Bình Dương
- Русский
- Тихоокеанский голубой тунец
Names come from Wikidata and iNaturalist records. Where a language has no recorded name, we use the scientific name.
Sources and how we check
- 葛西臨海水族園 — クロマグロChecked: 2026-11-03
- NOAA Fisheries — Pacific Bluefin TunaChecked: 2026-11-05
- University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web — Thunnus orientalisChecked: 2026-11-03
We check each fact against its source. The illustrations simplify how the real animal looks.
The classification (class, order, family, genus) follows Wikidata records, checked against GBIF. Classifications can change as research goes on.
The basic data are the values given in each source. They vary with how the animal is measured, whether it is male or female, and whether it lives in the wild or in captivity.
This page was translated from the original Japanese with the help of AI.
Report a mistakeWhen you meet the Pacific bluefin tuna, look for this
- Look for the small yellow fins edged in black that run toward the tail.
Animals do different things from day to day, so you may not always see this.
NOAA FisheriesEXHIBIT INFORMATION
Places that keep or show the Pacific bluefin tuna
Zoos, aquariums and other places whose official websites say they keep or show this animal.
Kanto
Displays can change with the animals’ health and the seasons. Check each facility’s official website before you go.
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