albacore

The albacore (Thunnus alalunga), known also as the albicore or longfin tuna, is a species of tuna of the order Scombriformes. It lives 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 in 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 in length.

Albacore are pelagic predators, eating a wide variety of foods, including 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. Schools of grown albacore are highly migratory.