Meet the bluefin tuna, the toughest fish in the sea - Grantly Galland and Raiana McKinney

Discover the unique adaptations that make the Atlantic bluefin tuna one of the most dominant predators in the ocean.
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What’s as big as a polar bear, swallows its prey whole, and swims at forty miles an hour? It’s not a shark or a killer whale... it’s the Atlantic bluefin tuna- the largest and longest-lived of the 15 tuna species. Its unique set of adaptations make it one of the most dominant predators in the ocean. Grantly Galland and Raiana McKinney detail how these fish go from tiny hatchling to ocean giant.
Lesson by Grantly Galland and Raiana McKinney, directed by Anna Benner.
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Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Amy, Michael Clement, Ghaith Tarawneh, Nathan Milford, Tomas Beckett, Alice Ice, Eric Berman, Kurt Paolo Sevillano, Xavi Ramos, Ron Kakar, Jennifer Heald, flóra lili donáti, Megulo Abebe, TAO7 HORUS, isolwi, Vedasheersh, Michael Chang, Waqar Sheikh, Alexander Gruber, Irene Y., Kate Sem, VPpurplebelt, Ujjwal Dasu, Theunis Groenewald, Minh Quan Dinh, Sylvain, Can Aydogmus, JasonD, Terran Gimpel, Gareth Thomas, Talia Sari, Phan Quang Lam, Katie McDowell, Allen, Sarat Chandra Vegunta, Mahina Bachiller, Bruce Vieira Lopes, Charmaine Hanson, Paul Aldred-Bann, Thawsitt, Jezabel, Abdullah Abdulaziz, Adriano Fontes, Xiao Yu, Melissa Suarez, SpartacusDMR, Brian A. Dunn, Francisco Amaya, Daisuke Goto and Matt Switzler.

[@samcockcroft99]

I’ve watched this channel for years. Never fails to relax me!

[@darkest_shade]

Agreed

[@dccarajay]

Agreed

[@rattled1557]

i concur

[@vincentphillips6471]

L9@@darkest_shade

[@fishlantern8515]

Especially the intro and the voice its just grace to your ears

[@BelikinBottle]

Ted ed: Posts new video Me: **wonders what gorgeous style they used today**

[@QtPieMarth]

They really do hire such an amazing array of animators! As an artist, it's so nice to see variety this strong in animation, not because I don't know it's out there, but because those terrible, lifeless, corporate animation styles have taken over.

[@viksplosion7105]

@@QtPieMarth Exactly! I completely agree!

[@DontTapMyDP]

DON'T READ MY PROFILE PICTURE : )

[@larquefausse3623]

No lie. A lot of good animators contribute to these videos.

[@BelikinBottle]

@@DontTapMyDP I accept that challenge

[@tuckerricklefs4830]

I think tuna are severely underappreciated. We like to think as sharks, cetaceans, and billfish as the premier oceanic hunters, and we associate tuna with cans and casserole. In reality, many tuna are apex predators in the same vain as sharks. They are truly awesome creatures that deserve recognition beyond being a seafood item.

[@tuckerricklefs4830]

I don't know why I just got so pationate over a fish. I just think they are cool.

[@FirstnameLastname-wu3rt]

Haha big fishe go brrrrr

[@tuckerricklefs4830]

@@FirstnameLastname-wu3rt agreed

[@thebiowatchlist]

'deserve recognition...' How? How are you going to recognize the bluefin tuna? Throw it a party? Give it an award. It's a fish, dude.

[@romanski5811]

I hope that one day killing fish will be illegal across the globe, and only those people who would literally starve to death otherwise are allowed to fish. All people deserve adequate nutrition as a basic human right guaranteed. But hopefully it will not be at the expense of sentient animals like fish, dogs or chickens. Or at least, only minimal expense at best. If somebody has to kill a dog because otherwise they would literally starve to death, then I think those cases are perfectly fine. In all other cases it should be illegal, though.

[@MasterJongXG]

I always forget how big Tunas are!

[@Bo_Mia]

I know right! It’s amazing how huge fish can be

[@BullShitThat]

bluefin tunas are surprisingly BIG! They're actual monsters!

[@MemyBurosi]

Never realised how big they R Buh I only realised how large shark, Whales and Dolphin are

[@Founderschannel123]

@@BullShitThat yeah ikr i do remember carrying one and i regret it :')

[@chasbodaniels1744]

Bonus question: How do they fit those guys into tiny 6oz cans?

[@jewris.art11]

Bruh am I the only one who watches National Geographic and gets terrified how scary and merciless the OCEAN's FOOD CHAIN is.

[@juanburgos9449]

Nop i get frighted when i see seaspiracy

[@puffthemagicdragon4759]

You are not alone

[@algae4757]

Yep you are not alone

[@raypoulomi]

We're one kind then

[@lorisperfetto6021]

Bobbit worm has entered the chat

[@miraarty316]

Time to learn something I probably don't need but will thoroughly enjoy!

[@dougdavis8986]

You always need education no matter how obscure

[@SOUMYADIPSARKAR]

Felt good that at least Ted is talking about overfishing where all the major environmental organisations are just avoiding it.... Overfishing is an issue and it needs to be resolved

[@opwave79]

Agree. There are many choices for sustainable fish besides tuna and salmon, yet popular cooking and recipe shows only feature tuna and salmon recipes. I think that leads to the high demand.

[@jeffarcher400]

The flip side to not overfishing is preserving the conditions for breeding. Many juveniles need estuaries, mangroves,grass beds or reef structures and clean water with the right temperature and pH. Plankton, zooplankton,other species larvae feed small fry and fingerlings. Bait fish like smelt and sardines feed the teens and the big guys eat whatever they want. It all has to be there at the right time or it all stops. Overfishing must be addressed but the big picture is equally important. When they started harvesting krill I was thinking you are taking the foundation of the prey/predator pyramid. You may not see the effects right away but they must be unavoidable. It's all one thing. P.s. Blue fin has one of the highest levels of Mercury. So high it could be considered poisonous. Fukushima radiation too but not much. Fished my whole life and now I feel sorry for them. Helicopters,drones,nets, longlines and factory ships are like shooting fish in a bucket. It's a long way from The Old Man and the Sea.

[@kgilliagorilla2761]

@@jeffarcher400 You’re 100% on target. Fla. F&G is now considering feeding manatees. The sea grass they eat is dying due to pollution. That’s a big indication of how bad it is. Not to mention one blue fin is thousands of dollars. TV shows glorify blue fin catches don’t help either. The drone has really revolutionized the industry. The fish don’t stand a chance.

[@romanski5811]

The best way to stop overfishing is to keep killing fish. It's _literally impossible_ for human beings to survive without killing fish. We have to kill fish, so please keep fishing and killing them. All people who never eat fish are sick and dying. That is a fact. As long as we keep fishing, all is good. Because it's impossible to stop.

[@japaneseanchovies]

0:18

[@trex5863]

Great White entered the chat: Killer Whale entered the chat: *Bluefin Tuna entered the chat:* Great White left the chat: Killer Whale left the chat: But wait.... Humans entered the chat: Bluefin Tuna left the chat:

[@yourmincemeat5233]

Covid entered the chat: Humans left the chat:

[@shubhambagdiya6801]

@@yourmincemeat5233 Lmao

[@ethandew1768]

@@yourmincemeat5233 vaccine entered the chat: Covid-19 has left the chat:

[@rupesh9110]

Lol

[@shubhambagdiya6801]

@Weasel Sanitizer and masks entered the chat: Mutated Covid 19 left the chat :

[@NobD2]

Finally! It's wonderful to see content that gives Tuna the credit they deserve as a super predator. Too many people only view Tuna as a canned food, and not the perfectly built swimming machines they are.

[@shko1259]

I think that they are much faster if you actually see them in action not in a video

[@rowanatkinsonn]

so the blue-fin tuna is the kid who never studies before exams but somehow gets the highest grade hmmmm

[@demianpryima1015]

Sounds familiar. Seems like you are talking bout me.

[@elysiummaybee]

@@demianpryima1015 Wait till High school or Uni

[@pingsanguanshua336]

people have hated me for this very reason

[@electronresonator8882]

maybe because there are kids who study everyday, and kids who study only before exams

[@pingsanguanshua336]

@@electronresonator8882 studying right before exams is the best cuz all the knowledge is fresh in ur mind

[@ZB123]

This came up on my recommended, great timing!

[@sakabaniya9725]

same here mate😎

[@johntucker3695]

Ted Ed: "What's as big as a polar bear, swallows its food whole, and swims at 40 mph" Me after reading the title:"Giraffe"

[@fishjenga]

Ah yes the Giraffe, top predator of the ocean

[@Founderschannel123]

@@fishjenga top predator of both sea and land

[@Imonagoodcushandalcohol]

noice got me

[@Hzorlurkz]

He’s a bit confused BUT HES GOT THE SPIRIT

[@shrutipitkar357]

Ted ed: knows how to teach students without tiring or getting them bored Edit: thanks for all the likes :)

[@cybpr8957]

They are the best at this, I think the secret lies in the flow of animations and very simplistic explanations. I love to watch them on daily basis, gives me knowledge as well as entertainment.

[@malafanai4026]

Amen

[@Duvmasta]

Great comment!

[@MemyBurosi]

So does Life Noggin and Mr Scientific

[@sonofaquack6987]

Always love me some fish support. Underrated animals.

[@brain2728]

Me : into the video , in about 30 sec later Also me : they are overfished and endangered isn't it :(

[@karapapaxatzidimitrakopoulos]

aren't they*

[@inatus_s]

Yea but recently japan started breeding and farming them, if it gets to salmon level of farming it will stop fishing bluefin altogether

[@electronresonator8882]

Profit, dude. it soars in response to high demand

[@astick5249]

@@inatus_s unfortunately farming bluefin is not a great idea, They have to collect eggs from the sea first off which removes the amount of new tuna that can hatch in the ocean. And farmed tuna live super competitive lives since they all live in close quarters with each other where they all have to grab any peace of food given to them before their neighbours do. So if farmed tuna are released into the wild they don't cooperate with the other wild tuna and senselessly bully them causing them to starve and the farmed tuna to die.

[@noraaviii]

@@astick5249 I dont think they mean they should release the farmed tuna into the wild to preserve the population, more like if there are enough tuna farms then there will no longer be a need to fish for wild tuna, thus the population can slowly work on growing again. But youre still definitely right about them not being able to survive if released into the wild.

[@plushfan0984]

Ted ed: it's not the shark or the orca whale Shark and orca: aw man :(

[@fitzgeraldgerundio8123]

Gold

[@Thomas-vi5yw]

Having swam and hand fed these fish I can say first hand how powerful they are, a real force of nature.

[@ahMaD_SOhaiL53]

I was just on my TV when I saw it. I then grabbed my phone to comment on the video. Perfect timing!

[@mahatirahmed93]

Man! It feels criminal to watch this type of content for free..

[@UrKneeguh]

You mean it feels like a CRIME

[@Rere-kk6cm]

Hey, you guys watch free movies all of the time

[@Sean-sn9ld]

Don't give them any ideas!

[@rahuliyer_2290]

Ted Ed never runs out of beautiful art styles!

[@dinomation]

One of the moat underrated fish of all time. Tuna are awesome and people should have more respect for them.

[@SaifKhan-wu4jt]

Thank you Ted for providing us with such informational content!

[@suntzu2102]

Nice to meet you Ms.Tuna!

[@suntzu2102]

@Mr.Whiskers read the videon title and then read my comment

[@acepeter3774]

Thank you youtube for recommending this before the notification

[@oliverpepit1354]

Whenever I see that there is a new ted ed, it just positively lights up the rest of my day!

[@IANOYTYK]

Tuna is one of the animals that I logically know is huge. But I saw one in an aquarium and it's still absolutely incredible. Thanks for more knowledge on this amazing fish!

[@CorePathway]

And damn if they aren’t tasty 😋

[@C104-k5m]

What is as large as a polar bear, swallows its prey whole, and swims at 40 miles per hour? my sushi apparently

[@indytiberius]

*its, you illiterate

[@caminstol2473]

@@indytiberius have some social awareness, you illiterate

[@raindoset5408]

@@indytiberius *unliterate, checkmate liberal

[@kaiw.2284]

@@indytiberius damn, you can swin 40 miles per hour!?

[@suleimansghk]

yes

[@lisamchayle4293]

I've heard a lot about this fish....never did I realize it was bigger than a polar bear

[@QuestionableHistoryTopics]

History,mythology,facts j love this keep making more videos

[@sharveshs3040]

I know I also watched Seaspiracy😢 I urge everybody to watch it, its on Netflix

[@azzarooni8532]

agreed.

[@JustSomeGuyWhoisLost]

Ah yes this chanel never fails to relax me😌

[@ronkirk5099]

Having lived on a sailboat for 7 years and sailed most of the world's oceans, I developed an appreciation for the marine environment and I mourn our unsustainable over exploitation of this resource. I followed Sylvia Earle's lead and gave up eating seafood years ago to help do my part in preserving the oceans.

[@bernardoquina]

This channel has been consistently delivering us great content for years. The fact that they only receive a couple thousands per month from their paetron baffles me. Consider supporting them if you have the means to do so. ♥️

[@garangaguer1963]

How I Love this Captions that come before the Video is inexpressible

[@itsmeebz]

omg amazing to know that bluefins have sorta built-in heat exchanger within them 👀

[@lubu682]

this is very well animated! thank you for sharing this knowledge!

[@tomassey123]

When I was a young backpacker in Australia I worked on the south Australian bluefin tuna farms. The fish are an amazing species. I am worried about how many fish are being taken from the ocean though. There was a quota system but I don't know whether it is sustainable or not. Simple maths suggests that if you are taking and harvesting hundreds of thousands of juvenile tuna (several years old) from the ocean each year it probably is not.

[@HelgaCavoli]

0:11 He meant to say 65 km/h.

[@First-Name--Last-Name]

That's the same

[@troliskimosko]

No he didnt

[@mathisconde4490]

Clean, interesting, short. Congrats !

[@robinhahnsopran]

Anytime TedEd posts a video spotlighting a new animal, I'm THERE. 💖💖💖

[@Xelaria]

Oh whale, I need to sleep. But this just came out.

[@dominiquepocopio777]

not whale 😠

[@Xelaria]

@@dominiquepocopio777 :(

[@dominiquepocopio777]

it is okay, dear Type D Crystal. We forgive you 😞

[@CoralEuphoria]

YT keeps recommending this video and I keep watching it ☺

[@bobbysalkeld2634]

The Atlantic Bluefin Tuna is as big as a polar bear?!? Wow, that really puts things into perspective.

[@Damn_It_Meg]

Holyyyy, the blue fine tuna is UNDERATED...

[@bachdotrong9988]

the last time I was this early there were still fish in the sea

[@akipper9074]

Wonderful timing

[@gamogi7142]

Ever since watching seaspiracy on Netflix, I have stopped eating fish. The fishing industry is destroying the planet

[@dudley8933]

Another great video by the ted-ed team, can’t say i’m surprised.

[@fishwhistle9612]

We are seeing a complete revitalization of the bluefin biomass in San Diego. Seiner quotas met in January and there is just a ton of fish out there. Recreational limit is 2 fish per angler. So amazing to see the quality and quantity of this fishery increasing year over year.

[@alphaapple1375]

For those who are familiar with the metric system: At 2:08: "Their maximum speed of 64 kilometers per hour is faster than that of a great white shark or orca whale, and even at their comfortable cruising speed, they can cross the Atlantic in a couple months." On screen at 2:10: "Orca's speed: 56 km/h, bluefin tuna's speed: 64 km/h, and great white shark's speed: 56.33 km/h"

[@Incrediblyintelligentman]

Nobody asked for your 2 cent comment

[@HNSthejypod]

God please don't let these magnificent animals go extinct:(

[@RealKingFloppa]

Yummy food 😋😋

[@magda_mf]

That was a really great animation! I love fish 😁

[@anklebreaka03]

So sad what is happening to these beautiful animals...I suggest everyone watch Seaspiracy and educate themselves on what the fishing market has done to the world

[@jdrudolfp2]

Nice. I like the creative animation it brings out to the audience. Keep it up.

[@nexo7181]

This fish is tougher than I will ever be

[@hawktails]

The narrator’s voice is so comforting

[@Izaya_Orihara]

0:02 idk my goldfish doesnt look so free in the fish tank

[@thirdjoro]

😭

[@JohnJohansen2]

Great video!👍

[@vivanakashbeere2854]

Wow so nice knowledge about marine life. Nature has so many surprises and miracles hidden in its safe vault and Ted Ed has made a great effort (and is doing) to continue to unlock the vault and share knowledge from the vault of nature. Thank you Ted Ed

[@tuoyoedukugho1807]

This video quality is really good, I was expecting more views. I gave it a like and a sub.

[@woozertoo]

According to the release date of this video and the calendar, it looks like our bluefin friend will be starting the journey tomorrow. Bon Voyage, and May the Fourth be with you! (Nice attention to detail, Ted-Ed 😉)

[@MsAzaelo]

The most important thing I see on TED-Ed videos is that always makes me feel amazed for the incredible world we live in, and how important is to realize the way we are all involved in the destruction of it, of that perfection that is nature, and more beautiful it get when you understant a littlr bit more of the ciencie behind that.

[@wackyantman5893]

“Wanna see my pet fish” “Sure” *pulls out a polar bear sized fish*

[@yooktrash9563]

did you know that 2nd May is the world tuna day? happy tuna day!!!

[@nexo7181]

I'm not early but I am here to learn stuff I do not know

[@FishyRaijin]

Lovely video about a fish I never knew about

[@Esoteric312]

What an exquisite video. I love this and wish they are not overfished because there are other wonderful sustainable fish and shellfish to enjoy as a sushi eater. Most people are not aware or educated to know this and go for the tuna because that is what everyone else always orders and are often unwilling to try something new.

[@rubybadger223mainchannel9]

This video is actually interesting for my today's lesson!

[@patricksarama4963]

Bluefin tunas: **exists** Sushi chefs: “Ha ha, sticky rice go good with you”

[@cherrytie1060]

Blue Fins are some of the most beautiful big fish out there.

[@michaelfh5704]

Those fish are so awesome it’s a goal of my life to catch one of those giants

[@abood.7795]

Your channel is very informative and creative with all these art styles

[@LifeExotics]

I hope we conserve this amazing species instead of serving it as sushi 🍣

[@liljon454502]

The demand for certain animals like this is often what keeps them around. The US Fish and Wildlife does an amazing job of regulating numbers of all types of fish and game animals to keep them at healthy populations, while allowing them to be consumed as well. And the money from hunting and fishing equipment funds that. Bluefin is one of the best tasting and highly valued sushi of them all, and they are currently in very healthy numbers in the Pacific and Atlantic. Eat Bluefin any chance you get, it’s incredible and no other sushi tastes anything like it

[@nitinsaxena4906]

AWESOME VID !!!!!!!!!!!

[@midimusicforever]

Tuna: Haha, I'm faster than any fish Humans: Omnomnom

[@pearlpalkovick920]

Love this video, probably my favorite TED video ever! Hope to see more fish videos

[@pedroh8915]

bluefin tuna is incredible, too sad that theres a lot of demand for it worldwide and its gonna be estinguished. Fluefin population is down to by 98% from what it was in 2000…

[@dynamosaurusimperious6341]

This was one great video on the uderrated Bluefin Tuna,also another Ted Ed video I'm glad to learn and post on.

[@euricequeen842]

My favorite is the yellow fin fish. i dunno if they are related,though

[@euricequeen842]

@@v_isforvictory9366 couldn't agree more. Especially when freshly caught. The meat is just perfection!

[@anonymousdude2550]

When the narrator said "US" my heart broke. Knowing that it would happen

[@jaketheperson8495]

I cant keep up with all these uploads

[@dynamosaurusimperious2718]

I like Tuna,not as much as Sharks,Orcas, Dolphins,or Crocodiles. But it's still a pretty awesome prefatory large fish too me,and is quite the underrated big predatory fish,so Thx Ted-Ed. Also I wish y'all a good day.

[@zero_prfctn]

Was I supposed to know that a Bluefin Tuna can reach 40 mph or was I supposed to find that through a Ted Ed video

[@Rere-kk6cm]

How much kilometers is 40 miles??

[@lucaohara3660]

@@Rere-kk6cm 64

[@jereu.v7489]

0:35 - "no bigger that a human eyelash" *blinks*

[@fasmin8904]

'''no being however great was as great as a fish''' also fish: being hunted down by humans to extinction.

[@sandradermark8463]

As big as a polar bear 🐻‍❄️? Mind BLOWN 🙀

[@doodlexd8661]

School up and now video time :)

[@RennKurusu]

Watching this while cooking tuna

[@hechss]

I recently bothered to investigate about bluefin tuna. It’s such an interesting animal! I liked his taste but I don’t want to eat anymore, so I tried a plant substitute made with roasted marinated watermelon. Sounds silly, but it really evokes the texture and aspect of the tuna and has a marine taste!

[@tucuongtieu3396]

Every precious animal appears in videos on KZbin Humans have entered the chat

[@unpopularopinions2261]

Tuna is high in Mercury. With that said. Can we stop over hunting these magnificent creatures? 🙄😒

[@intensify5966]

I have watched almost all Ted Ed videos and have never gotten bored

[@juangarcia6473]

Wish you had touched on bioaccumulation and how bluefin is one of the highest in terms of mercury and other toxins

[@kekmusicofficial]

I thought they were talking Bluefin Tuna Kush!! Cool video still

[@arcstur]

The best way to save the fish is to stop eating it ❤️

[@liljon454502]

No, the best way is to regulate it. The US Fish and Wildlife does an amazing job of this. Keeping healthy number while allowing them to be consumed as well. Bluefin is one of the best tasting, and highly valued sushi. They are currently at very healthy numbers in the Pacific and Atlantic. So enjoy!! 🍣

[@katiamazalova2515]

Hey there, big fan of the channel. Me and my wife and kids watch it on the daily ( yolo ). However i noticed in the first minute of the informative video that you described the tuna as blue finned, HOWEVER in the informative imagery the tuna was in fact yellow finned!!! WHICH is in fact incredibly informative!! Lots of Love, Margaret Thatcher and family xx

[@jttraina4516]

I am 74 now and have been an avid fisherman as far back as I can recall. I was born and raised on LI N.Y which happens to be one of the most productive fishing capitols in the world. I have in fact fished for Tuna and have had the fortune of catching a Giant Bluefin. 604 lbs. I have also witnessed Foreign boats operating off our coasts. When I say boats ,they are MORE LIKE SHIPS that drag a net at near 10 Knots, a speed that almost no fish is capable of escaping. The biggest argument I have with conservation laws is, UNLWESS EVERYONE ABIDES by them, they essentially are USLESS. The same as this Global Warming NONSENSE, all these treaties do is strangle American Industries and production while the BIGGEST POLUTERS Chins, India and just about every other large country go unchecked.

[@varunprakash6207]

Tuna fish 🐟 Toughest fish swimming water Continuosly Breathe oxygen in water Travel 40 miles per hour The Costliest fish 🐟 is tuna fish 🐟 because it less in the ocean due to man hunted them and more over Tuna fish 🐟 Ocean organism wow Awesome Animation 👌👌 Vera Level information about Tuna fish 🐟 And their lives in sea

[@ind0266]

It may be the toughest, but at least it makes a good sandwich!

[@biomutarist6832]

I didn't know that tuna are this badass!