tuna

Tuna is a term that came to our idiom after an extensive etymological journey. It comes from Hispanic Arabic tuna, which derives from classical Arabic tunn. This word, in turn, comes from Latin thunnus, whose origin is in the Greek thýnnos.

A tuna is called gender from teleost fish: that is, they have a totally ossified skeleton. The common tuna, also called Red tuna, is the species whose scientific name is Thunnus thynnus.

Tuna is a saltwater fish.

Tuna characteristics

Beyond the differences according to species, tunas share traits. These are saltwater fish that are part of the set of the acantopterygians since their odd fins, or all of them, have spiny rays without articulation.

In general, tuna is about three meters long. These animals they are silver or gray underneath, while the upper part of their body is bluish or black.

Tunas are migratory species. They can travel up to 50 kilometers per day, in some cases swimming in a depth 400 meters.

Some varieties

We said to Thunnus thynnus it is known as common tuna, Red tuna or bluefin tuna. The specimens of this species can weigh more than 600 kilograms and, having the ability to increase their temperature corporal, they can live in very cold waters.

In subtropical and tropical seas we can find al white tuna, light tuna or yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares). The black fin tuna (Thunnus atlanticus), the eastern bluefin tuna or bighorn tuna (Thunnus orientalis) and the southern bluefin tuna (Thunnus maccoyii) are others varieties of this genre.

Tuna can be eaten fresh or canned.

Tuna in human food

Millions of tons of tuna are fished worldwide each year. The meat This fish is highly valued, whether fresh or canned.

In the case of fresh tuna, it can be prepared in different ways. The sorropotún or marmitako, by example, is a stew that is made with white tuna, tomato, pepper, onion and potatoes. The ceviche or Ceviche, meanwhile, it can be made with tuna marinated in a citrus dressing, while for the sushi You can also use this fish. Another popular option in various regions is grilling fresh tuna.

With the belly (the meat located near the belly, in the lower area of ​​the fish), is usually made tuna with onion. The belly is also used in the so-called sand tuna, which is generally performed at iron.

Anyway, the most common is that the tuna is consumed canned. In this case, the fish meat is cut into pieces or shredded, subjected to a cooking process and canned with salt as a preservative. It can be natural tuna (in water) or in oil.

Its inclusion in the diet

Thanks to the content of iron, Omega-3 fatty acids and protein, including tuna in the diet provides health benefits. It can contribute to cardiovascular function and tissue repair.

However, it must be taken into account that canned tuna usually includes a high amount of Salt, which can be detrimental to the persons who have hypertension. In addition the purines they can affect those with gout or hyperuricemia.