A boy fishing with his dad got a huge surprise - he had the greatest catch of his life after he hauled a massive bluefin tuna. The fish was enormous and was even bigger than him.
11-Year-Old Boy Caught Giant Bluefin Tuna Bigger Than Him
Jakim Azzopardi, 11, was fishing with his dad and another friend near Apollo Bay in Victoria. During the outing, he made a remarkable catch off the coast of Cape Otway.
It took Jakim over an hour to haul the massive fish that weighed 116.5 kilograms and measured 189 centimeters long.
Jakim told 9News that it was so big when it came out of the water. It was reportedly very tall and bigger than him.
He admitted that his arms were sore after over an hour of hauling. He shared the experience with his good friend, who was amazed by it. According to Jakim's dad, Matthew, the bluefin tuna was the largest fish they had ever captured on the boat.
Matthew said his son now holds the record. He added that they normally release their catch. However, they decided to make the most of it since it was Jakim's first fish and a memorable catch.
According to MailOnline, the meat of bluefin tuna is valued at around $50 per kilogram. Since the fish weighed at least 116 kilograms, the family could probably make over $5,000 from it.
Phillip Pirotta shared some clips of Jakim struggling to haul the giant fish on Facebook. According to him, they didn't hit the water until 8:30 a.m., and it didn't take long before the giant fish took the bait.
After just 30 minutes, Jakim reportedly started hauling. Jakim reportedly fought the fish and beat it after 40 minutes. Pirotta said, "The fish took a bronze exocet in Paris color," he was sure that Jakim would not forget the experience for a long time.
How Big Can Bluefin Tuna Get?
The bodies of Atlantic bluefin tuna are massive, torpedo-shaped, and almost circular in cross-section. They are the biggest tuna species, growing up to 13 feet long and weighing 2,000 pounds, per NOAA Fisheries.
The lower sides and belly are white, and the back is dark blue-black. On their bottom flanks, Atlantic bluefin tuna exhibit rows of colorless dots and lines of faint lines.
They have short pectoral fins and a reddish-brown second fin on their back, known as the dorsal fin. These traits set this species apart from other tunas in the Thunnus genus.
Compared to other tuna, bluefin tuna grow more slowly. They can live up to 20 years and typically wait until 8 years old before reproducing.
They spawn primarily in the Gulf of Mexico between mid-April and June. The annual egg production of females can reach 10 million.
The eggs hatch about two days after being fertilized in the water column. Top predators include bluefin tuna.
Adults mostly eat baitfish like herring, bluefish, and mackerel, while juveniles consume fish, squid, and crabs. Bluefin tuna is a food source for sharks, huge fish, and marine mammals like killer and pilot whales. Juvenile bluefin tuna are also preyed upon by bluefish and seagulls.
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