AlbacoreorBigeye Tuna
Two fish anglers mix up. Here is what separates them, and what each one’s rules are in your state.
How to tell them apart
Albacore
Pectoral fins absurdly long, sweeping back past the anal fin; deep-blue back, chalk belly.
Bigeye Tuna
Stockier than yellowfin, oversized eye, duskier fins; honest answer — hard to call, measure and check.
Bigeye tuna, next to albacore: stockier with a bigger eye; pectorals never reach that far.
Side by side
| Albacore | Bigeye Tuna | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Thunnus alalunga | Thunnus obesus |
| Also called | Longfin, Longfin tuna | — |
| Waters | Offshore | Offshore |
| Heaviest state record | 81 lb 2 oz · New York (2011) | 375.5 lb · Maryland (1977) |
| On the table | The 'white meat' tuna — mild and firm, excellent seared. | Excellent — fattier than yellowfin. |
| Rules of its own in | 19 states | 5 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 19 of 19 states with a rule for either. In Alabama, albacore is No size limit, No bag limit and bigeye tuna is 27 in curved fork length minimum, No creel limit. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Albacore: size · bag · season | Bigeye Tuna: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)NOAA HMS 2025 · checked | 27 in curved fork length minimumNo creel limitOpen year-roundOpenAL MRD 2026 · checked |
| Connecticut | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)NOAA HMS 2025 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Delaware | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)NOAA HMS 2025 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Florida (Atlantic) | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)NOAA HMS 2025 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Florida (Gulf) | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)NOAA HMS 2025 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Georgia | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)NOAA HMS 2025 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Louisiana | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)NOAA HMS 2025 · checked | 27 in curved fork lengthNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenLDWF 2026 · checked |
| Maine | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)NOAA HMS 2025 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Maryland | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)NOAA HMS 2025 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Massachusetts | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)NOAA HMS 2025 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Mississippi | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)NOAA HMS 2025 · checked | 27 in curved fork length minimumNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenMS DMR 2026 · checked |
| New Hampshire | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)NOAA HMS 2025 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| New Jersey | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)NOAA HMS 2025 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| New York | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)NOAA HMS 2025 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| North Carolina | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)NOAA HMS 2025 · checked | 27" curved FL min3 per person per dayYear-roundOpenNC DMF 2026 · checked |
| Rhode Island | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)NOAA HMS 2025 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| South Carolina | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)NOAA HMS 2025 · checked | 27 in curved fork lengthNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked |
| Texas | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)NOAA HMS 2025 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| Virginia | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)NOAA HMS 2025 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, albacore or bigeye tuna, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell albacore from bigeye tuna?
Albacore: Pectoral fins absurdly long, sweeping back past the anal fin; deep-blue back, chalk belly. Bigeye Tuna: Stockier than yellowfin, oversized eye, duskier fins; honest answer — hard to call, measure and check. Bigeye tuna, next to albacore: stockier with a bigger eye; pectorals never reach that far.
Which gets bigger, albacore or bigeye tuna?
Bigeye Tuna. The heaviest state record we hold is 375.5 lb in Maryland; the heaviest albacore record is 81 lb 2 oz in New York.
Which is better to eat, albacore or bigeye tuna?
Albacore: The 'white meat' tuna — mild and firm, excellent seared. Bigeye Tuna: Excellent — fattier than yellowfin.
Do albacore and bigeye tuna have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 19 state rulebooks. Alabama: albacore No size limit, No bag limit, bigeye tuna 27 in curved fork length minimum, No creel limit; Louisiana: albacore No size limit, No bag limit, bigeye tuna 27 in curved fork length, No bag limit; Mississippi: albacore No size limit, No bag limit, bigeye tuna 27 in curved fork length minimum, No bag limit; North Carolina: albacore No size limit, No bag limit, bigeye tuna 27" curved FL min, 3 per person per day; South Carolina: albacore No size limit, No bag limit, bigeye tuna 27 in curved fork length, No bag limit; and more in the table on this page.