This week Time magazine named Clean Seas Tuna's breakthrough in breeding southern bluefin tuna in a tank as the world's second best invention of the year, only beaten by NASA's Ares 1 rocket.

The tank-bred tuna successfully beat other top inventions including the AIDS vaccine, controller-free gaming, teleportation and the electric eye.

Clean Seas made news around the world when they successfully spawned a tankful of southern bluefin tuna in March this year at its purpose build hatchery at Arno Bay.

Time described the breakthrough as securing a future for the endangered species.

"Others have gotten Pacific bluefin to spawn and grow in ocean cages, but by coaxing the notoriously fussy southern bluefin to breed in landlocked tanks, Clean Seas may finally have given the future of bluefin aquaculture legs (or at least a tail)," Time wrote.

Clean Seas founder Hagen Stehr said it was "absolutely unbelievable" to be named second in Time's 50 best inventions of 2009.

"To only have a NASA rocket ahead of us is extraordinary," Mr Stehr said.

"It shows we are on the right track with an endorsement from Time and CNN, which is one of the top magazines in the world, it means a lot to us."

Mr Stehr said it was a very pleasing result for the Clean Seas board, entire company and its shareholders.

"It's really something for an Australian invention to be named on the list, let alone something in South Australia and Port Lincoln."