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| Courtesy of California Dept. of Fish and Game |
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Common name: Yellowfin
(Other common names: Allison tuna, tunny, longfin, and ahi
Scientific name: Thunnus albacares (Thunnus is Greek for “thynnos” meaning tuna: Scombridae (Mackerel and Tunas)
Description: > The body of a Yellowfin tuna is tapered at either end giving it a cigar-like shape. Its body is a dark blue, metallic steel above, changing to a sliver, then fading to a white on its belly, with a vertical band of yellow below its pectoral fin. In juveniles there are about 20 pale broken lines along the lower sides of their bodies. And in adult yellowfins, they have a moderately long pectoral fin that is 1/3 to 1/4 of the body fork length that is bright yellow, thus the name yellowfin.
Yellowfin have a very distinct “M” shaped notch in the center of its caudal fin. They also have seven to 10 black dorsal and ventral finlets behind its bright yellow anal and second dorsal fins. A band of large scales forms a circle around the body behind the head, while scales are lacking behind the corselet.
Known as the king of tuna, the average length of a yellowfin is 6.5 feet and the average weight is 450 lbs and can reach up to 10 years in age.
The liver of a yellowfin is smooth.
Habitat: Yellowfin are epipelagic creatures that can be found swimming in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. They prefer the tropical and subtropical temperatures ranging from 65 to 88?F.
Since they are a highly migrant fish, yellowfin like to travel in schools mixed with other species of tuna, such as skipjack, albacore and bigeye. On some occasions you can find larger yellowfin in schools with dolphins. Yellowfin commonly school under drifting objects such as driftwood, patches of seagrass, boats, or dead marine mammals.
Reproduction: All yellowfin reach maturity during the second or third year and reproduce year round, but mostly during the summer months in each hemisphere. It is believed that spawning only happens in waters no less than 79?F.
Each female spawns several million eggs into the ocean and the males disperse their milt, leaving the eggs unguarded. Large females are known to deposit up to 8 million eggs during one season.
Larval yellowfin can be recognized by a single black spot under the chin; a lack of color to their tail and the center of the eye is above the line of the body axis. Juveniles grow quickly, weighing approximately 7.5 lbs. at 18 months and 140 lbs. at 4 years. Male yellowfin tend to grow faster and live longer than the females.
Eating habit: Yellowfins are sight-oriented predators that prey on anchovies, sardines, and other small fishes, squid, krill, and pelagic red crabs. Feeding occurs more towards the surface during daylight.
Fishing methods, tips, and best lures and baits: Since yellowfin are surface feeders, you can try to throw chum (sardines, anchovies and small mackerels) to attract them toward the surface.
Best times of the year for targeting this species: The best time to fish for yellowfin is from May to November, during the summertime when the waters are warm.
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