Reproduction

The Albacore tuna has a very unique way of reproduction. First, spawning must occur. Spawning is basically when the eggs or sperm are released into the aquatic habitat for reproduction to occur. There are both female and male tuna, so the Albacore tuna can be considered a dioecious species. For the Albacore tuna, spawning usually takes place from March to July, but in some cases spawning can last as long as September. The peak of the spawning period usually occurs in the first two months, March and April. Also, other evidence has shown that this species may spawn more than once a year. However, there is limited information on this discovery. Albacore tuna are believed to release their gametes near the surface of the water and since the eggs and sperm are released outside of the tuna’s body, fertilization is considered to be external. The female can release a large amount of eggs, sometimes releasing 2.6 million eggs per spawning. The eggs are enclosed by an oil droplet and tend to develop extremely fast, with hatching occurring within 48 hours. Once the young Albacore are born, it is believed that they will remain near the spawning areas within the first year of their lives. However, the parents are no longer involved with their lives.  As one may expect, not all of the eggs that the female Albacore produces survive. Most will not make it to the adult stage. In addition, since the parents stop taking care of the offspring right away, many of the younger Albacore do not survive.  An Albacore does not reach sexual maturity until about 5-6 years of age. Most Albacore tuna that do reach maturity tend to live to be about 11-12 years of age.

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