From The Food Encyclopedia by Jacques Rolland and Carol Sherman
Also tunny. An ocean-dwelling fish from the mackerel, or Scombridae family, a very fast swimmer, which can clock 55 miles (88 km) per hour. The tuna's flesh is crimson pink, unlike that of other ocean fish, which is usually white, because the tuna's blood carries more oxygen, also allowing it to live in colder waters. Americans eat 500,000 tons (454,000 tonnes) of canned tuna each year. Canned tuna's origins reflect its proletarian status. Because of a shortage of Pacific sardines in San Pedro Bay in 1903, a southern California canner named Albert P. Halfhill decided to pack tuna instead, using flat, square sardine cans, and was surprised when sales took off. By 1913, nine plants were producing 115,000 cases a year. The canned tuna market is valued at more than $1 billion. Interest in fresh tuna has exploded with the popularization of Asian cuisine, particularly sushi.
