How Old Was That 1200lb Giant I Caught?

At this weekend's tuna seminar produced by Canyon Runner, I met several captains who had boated giant bluefin over 1000lbs this Fall off Chatham, Mass. One especially nice captain asked me how old my 1200lb giant was? His fish dressed out at 970lbs. Thanks to Shana over at Tag A Giant, here is a table that estimates the age of bluefin tuna during their life cycle. So that 1200lber was probably around 20 years old. Given all the ways that fish could have died, 20 years is quite an accomplishment.