[AndyS]

Bluefin Stomach Find!

Our graduate student & Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) scientist, Blaise Jenner, is conducting a long-term Atlantic bluefin tuna diet study through a collaboration with the Maine DMR & the University of Maine.

He has discovered some pretty neat finds in a tuna tummy! Found in the stomach of a 737 lb tuna caught at the Casco Bay Bluefin Bonanza on July 30th, 2023, by FV Endorfin, was a plastic WIRE TAG that came from a STRIPED BASS! After connecting with the right folks, Blaise found out the tag came from the American Littoral Society, which is an organization that does a fair amount of citizen science tagging, among other things. He also learned that the striper was tagged on May 29th, 2023, in Cornwall, NY, and was measured at 38.25” and 18.6 lbs at the time.

It’s hard to say where exactly the bluefin and striper crossed paths since there was no sign of the striper, other than the tag, in the stomach, which tells us the tag may have been sitting in there for a while. We felt this was a very neat story to share, and DEFINITELY a big meal for that tuna!