AlbacoreorYellowfin 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.
Yellowfin Tuna
Long yellow second dorsal and anal fins that grow with age; yellow lateral stripe.
Yellowfin tuna, next to albacore: yellow finlets and shorter pectorals.
Side by side
| Albacore | Yellowfin Tuna | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Thunnus alalunga | Thunnus albacares |
| Also called | Longfin, Longfin tuna | Ahi |
| Waters | Offshore | Offshore |
| Heaviest state record | 81 lb 2 oz · New York (2011) | 290 lb · New Jersey (1980) |
| On the table | The 'white meat' tuna — mild and firm, excellent seared. | Excellent raw or seared rare. |
| 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 yellowfin tuna is 27 in curved fork length minimum, 3 per person. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Albacore: size · bag · season | Yellowfin 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 minimum3 per personOpen 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 length3 per personOpen 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 minimum3 per person per dayOpen 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 length3/dayOpen 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 yellowfin 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 yellowfin tuna?
Albacore: Pectoral fins absurdly long, sweeping back past the anal fin; deep-blue back, chalk belly. Yellowfin Tuna: Long yellow second dorsal and anal fins that grow with age; yellow lateral stripe. Yellowfin tuna, next to albacore: yellow finlets and shorter pectorals.
Which gets bigger, albacore or yellowfin tuna?
Yellowfin Tuna. The heaviest state record we hold is 290 lb in New Jersey; the heaviest albacore record is 81 lb 2 oz in New York.
Which is better to eat, albacore or yellowfin tuna?
Albacore: The 'white meat' tuna — mild and firm, excellent seared. Yellowfin Tuna: Excellent raw or seared rare.
Do albacore and yellowfin tuna have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 19 state rulebooks. Alabama: albacore No size limit, No bag limit, yellowfin tuna 27 in curved fork length minimum, 3 per person; Louisiana: albacore No size limit, No bag limit, yellowfin tuna 27 in curved fork length, 3 per person; Mississippi: albacore No size limit, No bag limit, yellowfin tuna 27 in curved fork length minimum, 3 per person per day; North Carolina: albacore No size limit, No bag limit, yellowfin tuna 27" curved FL min, 3 per person per day; South Carolina: albacore No size limit, No bag limit, yellowfin tuna 27 in curved fork length, 3/day; and more in the table on this page.