Dispatch Method:

The eating qualities of southern bluefin tuna can be greatly improved if they are killed immediately by iki jime before placing them in an ice slurry after bleeding. A firm knock on the head may be required to stun larger fish first before attempting iki jime.

Fish Description:

• Dark blue to black dorsally with lower sides and belly silvery white. The first dorsal fin is yellow or bluish; the anal fin and finlets are dusky yellow. Swimbladder present.
  
• Southern bluefin tuna mature at around 120 cm and 8 years old, making them a long lived, late maturing species.
  
• Like most other tunas, this species is a warm blooded fish. The dark red swimming muscles in the centre of the fillet help maintain their body temperature 2-3°C above that of the surrounding water.

Fish Distribution:

• Transoceanic in the southern Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. Inhabits temperate and cold seas offshore, mainly between 30°S and 50°S.
  
• During spawning, large fish migrate to tropical seas, off the west coast of Australia near Java, Indonesia (10°S).

Fish Size Common Length:

60-150 cm (2-5 feet), maximum size 250 cm (8 feet 4 inches) and 260 kg (572 lb). World record 167 kg (369 lb) from Tathra, Australia.