Interesting Albacore Tuna Facts

Fun and Interesting Albacore Tuna Facts


If you are like me, then you have taste buds in your mouth reserved just for tuna. The taste and texture of tuna – as well as the nutritional content – makes my mouth water, as it does for millions of other people out there. Here in this article you will learn all about the king of tuna – the albacore tuna – with these albacore tuna facts.

Albacore Tuna Facts: Use as Food

The taste of the albacore tuna is loved and desired all over the world. Like most tuna, it has a rich, fishy taste with a flaky, beef-like texture. It is also highly nutritious, being loaded with the most omega-3 fatty acids per pound than any other tuna species. Most people eat tuna either in the form of tuna steaks or tuna salad. It is not the best tuna you can get for sashimi due to its lack of a nice, firm body when it is raw. But as a steak, or in tuna salad, albacore tuna is fantastic – hence its popularity. When cooked, the raw, pink meat will turn an off-white in color. Albacore tuna is also the only type of tuna that can legally be called ‘white meat tuna’, because it is the highest grade of tuna you can find.

Albacore Tuna Facts: Nutrition

As mentioned above, albacore tuna is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients are anti-inflammatory agents that help your body. Albacore tuna also contains plenty of protein, vitamin A, selenium, vitamin B12, and niacin, which are all vital for your health. This makes albacore tuna a healthy choice for a meal. Try shredded albacore on wheat bread with relish for a delicious sandwich.

Albacore Tuna Facts: Size and Color

Tuna are often confused by many with sardines, in that people think tuna are small and puny. This is not the case. Tuna are actually quite large compared to many other types of fish in the sea, and can really put up a fight with fishermen trying to reel them in. Albacore tuna can grow up to 100 pounds (45 kg), but usually average around 20 lbs or so (9 kg). They can also get up to 4-6 feet long.

You can tell an albacore from other tuna by looking at its color in addition to its size and shape. These tuna will have a back that is dark blue, with sides and bellies that are silver-white in color. This is distinguishable from the yellowfin and bluefin, which have distinctively colored fins.

Albacore Tuna Facts: Environment

Like most tuna, albacore tuna live primarily in the Pacific Ocean. They are especially plentiful off the coasts of British Columbia, Japan, Hawaii, and New Zealand. You can find these tuna living in the Atlantic Ocean near Spain and occasionally off of the eastern North American coast, but your chances are best to spot and catch one across the world. They prefer warmer waters that you will not typically find too far north or south of the equator, too, so take that into consideration.

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