Atlantic Bigeye Tuna (Thunnus obesus)

Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) for Bigeye Tuna:

• Spawning, eggs and larvae: At this time, available information is insufficient for the identification of EFH for this life stage within the U.S. EEZ; although it can not be identified as EFH under the Magnuson-Stevens Act because it is located outside the U.S. EEZ, the Gulf of Guinea, off the coast of Africa, is identified as important habitat for spawning adults, eggs and larvae.
  
  
• Juveniles/Subadults (<100 cm FL): In surface waters from southeastern Georges Bank to the boundary of the EEZ to Cape Hatteras, NC at 35° N from the 200 m isobath to the EEZ boundary; also, in the Blake Plateau region off Cape Canaveral, FL, from 29° N south to the EEZ boundary (28.25° N) and from 79° W east to the EEZ boundary (approximately 76.75° W).
  
  
• Adults (100 cm FL): In pelagic waters from the surface to a depth of 250 m: from southeastern Georges Bank at the EEZ boundary to offshore Delaware Bay at 38° N, from the 100 m isobath to the EEZ boundary; from offshore Delaware Bay south to Cape Lookout, NC (approximately the region off Cape Canaveral, FL), from 29° N south to the EEZ boundary (28.25° N), and from 79° W east to the EEZ boundary (76.75° W).