Learn to tell between many tuna species it is possible with a good guide. Between Thunnini are 15 species between that albacore bigeye black skipjack blackfin bluefin bullet frigate kawakawa little tunny longtail skipjack slender and yellowfin. Bluefin group is made up of three species atlantic bluefin pacific bluefin and south bluefin.
Pacific bluefin is the biggest from those three and reach up to 15 feet. In waters near San Diego weights range of 60 to 400 pounds. Commercial fishing divides into main and minor species.
How to Tell Different Types of Tuna
The seven main ones are skipjack albacore yellowfin bigeye atlantic bluefin pacific bluefin and south bluefin. Six from them belong to group Thunnus and one to Katsuwonus.
Using a chart you can well know the species. For instance a chart helps to note that bigeye do not have the wavy lines on its silver belly that of yellowfin. Albacore commonly calls white tuna.
It is the only species that deserves to label like this. It does not have too fishy a taste. Hence it pleases even to those that do not love other tuna.
Skipjack you know as light tuna. Almost all canned light tuna come of skipjack. In Hawaii yellowfin tuna is ahi.
That name means two types. Yellowfin are the most available tuna above 10 pounds. It can weigh up to 200 pounds some even more than 400.
High-quality tuna has bright red meat. Yellowfin rate because of its bright red color while bluefin have a bit more gray nuance. Bigeye value in sashimi because of much fat.
You consider marble at bigeye over 100 pounds. At bluefin fat amount and density are the main things. Sushi grade tuna accomplishes standards for raw or lightly cooked food as sashimi.
Usually it originates of fresh good catches of big types as bigeye either yellowfin. In Japan sushi from tuna is only bluefin or bigeye. Albacore do not use for sushi here.
In English you also call tuna “Chicken of the Sea”.