Albacore

For other uses, see Albacore (disambiguation).

Albacore
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scombriformes
Family: Scombridae
Genus: Thunnus
Subgenus: Thunnus
Species:
T. alalunga
Binomial name
Thunnus alalunga
(Bonnaterre, 1788)
Synonyms[2][3][4]
  • Scomber alalunga Bonnaterre, 1788
  • Germo alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788)
  • Thynnus alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788)
  • Scomber alalunga Cetti, 1777
  • Thunnus alalunga (Cetti, 1777)
  • Scomber alatunga Gmelin, 1789
  • Orcynus alatunga (Gmelin, 1789)
  • Scomber albicans Walbaum, 1792
  • Scomber germon Lacepède, 1800
  • Germo germon (Lacepède, 1800)
  • Orcynus germon (Lacepède, 1800)
  • Orcynus germo (Lacepède, 1800)
  • Scomber germo Lacepède, 1801
  • Germo germo (Lacepède, 1800)
  • Thunnus germo (Lacepède, 1800)
  • Thynnus pacificus Cuvier, 1832
  • Thunnus pacificus (Cuvier, 1832)
  • Scomber germo Bennett, 1840
  • Orcynus pacificus Cooper, 1863

The albacore (Thunnus alalunga), known also as the longfin tuna, is a species of tuna of the order Scombriformes. It is found in temperate and tropical waters across the globe in the epipelagic and mesopelagic zones. There are six distinct stocks known globally in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. The albacore has an elongate, fusiform body with a conical snout, large eyes, and remarkably long pectoral fins. Its body is a deep blue dorsally and shades of silvery white ventrally. Individuals can reach up to 1.4 m (4 ft 7 in) in length.

Albacore are pelagic predators that eat a wide variety of foods, including but not limited to fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods. They are unique among tuna in that their primary food source is cephalopods, with fish making up a much smaller portion of their diet. Reproduction usually occurs from November to February and is oviparous. An adult female can release over two million eggs in a single cycle. Fry (juvenile fish) generally stay near where they were spawned for about a year before moving on. Albacore form schools based on their stage in the life cycle, but also combine with other tuna like the skipjack tuna, yellowfin tuna, and bluefin tuna. Once grown, schools are highly migratory.

The albacore is a very economically important fish and is a target of commercial and recreational fisheries. It was originally the basis for the United States tuna-canning industry and is no less important today, making up significant percentages of the gross domestic products of various Pacific nations. It was listed as Near Threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) because of the threat of overfishing but is now Least Concern again.[5] Several stocks were in significant decline and the species' overall population were decreasing but are now recovering thanks to the enforcement of regional fishing quotas.

  1. ^ Collette, B.B.; Boustany, A.; Fox, W.; Graves, J.; Juan Jorda, M.; Restrepo, V. (2021). "Thunnus alalunga". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T21856A46911332. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T21856A46911332.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Thunnus alalunga". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  3. ^ Collette, B.; Acero, A.; Amorim, A.F.; et al. (2011). "Thunnus alalunga". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2011: e.T21856A9325450. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T21856A9325450.en.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference fishbase was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Tuna species recovering despite growing pressures on marine life - IUCN Red List". 4 September 2021.