We used acoustic telemetry to examine the small-scale movement patterns of yellow®n tuna (Thunnus albacares) in the California Bight at the northern extent of their range. Oceanographic pro®les of temperature, oxygen, currents and ̄uorometry were used to determine the relationship between movements and environmental features. Three yellow®n tuna (8 to 16 kg) were tracked for 2 to 3 d. All three...

Specialisations in excitation-contraction coupling may have played an important role in the evolution of endothermy and high cardiac performance in scombrid fishes. We examined aspects of Ca(2+) handling in cardiomyocytes from Pacific bonito (Sarda chiliensis), Pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus), yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) and Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis). The whole-cell ...

Seascape ecology is an emerging discipline focused on understanding how features of the marine habitat influence the spatial distribution of marine species. However, there is still a gap in the development of concepts and techniques for its application in the marine pelagic realm, where there are no clear boundaries delimitating habitats. Here we demonstrate that pelagic seascape metrics define...

OBJECTIVE To report the case of a fisherman who developed chronic mercury poisoning due to excessive consumption of tuna while working on a pelagic fishing vessel. CASE REPORT A 48-year-old male deep-sea fisherman developed paresthesia and pain in both legs while working at sea. He continued working for over 4 months on a pelagic fishing vessel but was eventually unable to function normally a...

Public health concerns have been raised over the risk of parasitic helminth (roundworm, tapeworm and fluke) infections from eating raw fish, an increasing US consumer trend. Hawai'i consumers eat seafood at nearly 3 times the US national average rate, with a long tradition and high level of raw fish consumption. The local fish species commonly eaten raw in Hawai'i include tuna (bigeye, yellowfi...

Automated acoustic receivers are now widely used by biologists to study the behavior of fish. However, currently available acoustic receivers require physical recovery of the units to download stored data. Such operation is often difficult in remote study areas like in the open ocean. We present a new satellite-linked acoustic receiver (Vemco VR3-Argos) that allows downloading data through a sa...

Two cases of scombrotoxin poisoning after exposure to tuna are described, the second being unusual in that tinned, rather than fresh, tuna was involved. This relatively rare condition needs to be distinguished from an allergic reaction, for which it can easily be mistaken.

We analyzed 1950s survey data with generalized estimating equations (GEEs) to quantify factors that influence the rate that bait is lost from pelagic longlines. Hook depth, bait species, local tuna abundance, and the timing of longline operations strongly influenced loss rates. Loss rates increased with tuna abundance and soak time. They declined with hook depth and were low for firm-bodied bai...

‘dolphin-friendly’ tuna knows that dolphins can be unintended victims of the tuna-fishing industry. Now, a mathematical model shows that dolphin calves can gain up to 90% of the energy required for swimming if they position themselves correctly relative to their mothers, but that the calves are in danger of being lost if this positioning breaks down [1]. As observations of dolphins in the wild ...