Portraits of Tuna Types

The Albacore is the only kind of tuna that can be classified as “white meat tuna” in the U.S. market. Also called long-finned tuna, they usually weigh between 10 to 50 lbs. These fish are always on the move. Albacore usually migrate across the Pacific Ocean from Japan and up the coast of North America. Albacore, however, do not swim in tight schools like other tuna species. This usually means commercial fishing boats need to work harder and longer to fill their freezer full of fish. Usually, commercial fishing boats need to be a couple of hundred miles from shore to catch this long-finned tuna. (See Fishing for Tuna)

Skipjack is the smallest tuna canned – weighing only 6 to 12 pounds on average. But don’t be fooled by its small size. Skipjack make up the largest share of tuna caught and eaten by people around the world. In fact, the majority of US canned tuna is packed with Skipjack. Skipjack live in warmer water temperatures, which means they can be found in the central belt of water throughout the world. Purse seining and pole & line are the most common methods of catching this tuna.

Yellowfin gets its name from the bright yellow coloration of its fins and finlets. Its body reflects the color of most tuna, being metallic dark blue on the back, changing to yellow and silver on the belly. In the past, Yellowfin was the most important commercial catch, but because of improved dolphin safe catching methods, it’s second to the Skipjack. Yellowfin tuna is still the largest of the tunas canned. This tuna can range in size between 30 pounds all the way up to 400 pounds!