Yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) is a saltwater, brackish species recorded in Hong Kong, Taiwan, United States. It is found at depths of 1–1602 m. The main season in Hong Kong, Taiwan, United States runs summer, autumn.
Scientific name: Thunnus albacares · Water: Saltwater, Brackish · Season: Summer, Autumn · Also known as: Yellowfin Tuna
Size: 90–140 cm
The Yellowfin tuna is a large scombrid of tropical and subtropical seas, recognised by its bright yellow second dorsal, anal and finlet fins, with the dorsal and anal fins of mature fish sweeping back like sickles. It is an epipelagic species of the mixed surface layer above the thermocline, yet it will push inshore of the continental shelf where warm, clear water and baitfish concentrate, schooling by size in single- or mixed-species groups, sometimes with porpoises and often around floating debris. It feeds on fish, crustaceans and squid. Names differ by region: Taiwan calls it 黃鰭鮪 and also 串仔 or 甕串, while Hawaii knows it as ahi. Taiwan's eastern and distant-water fisheries depend on it, and summer through autumn, roughly June to October, is the near-shore boat season, where its powerful runs make it a heavyweight challenge. In the United States the three main arenas are the Gulf of Mexico, above all off Venice, Louisiana, the mid-Atlantic off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and Hawaii, where the fish is worked around anchored fish-aggregation devices and the 50-fathom curve; warm-water years also bring them to Catalina off southern California. Gulf and Atlantic anglers do best from summer into autumn, fishing almost entirely from boats with trolled lures, live bait, or chunking and a chum line. Most fish run 90–140 cm; Taiwanese sources put the maximum above 230 cm, and American sources report 2.4 m and about 200 kg, against an IGFA all-tackle record of 200.94 kg. Lifespan is about 18 years. IUCN lists it as Least Concern.
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