Species FAO code: ALB

Thunnus alalunga

Page contents

Commercial designations
Production methods and fishing gears
Conservation measures
Marketing standards
Species distribution and habitat
Species description
Combined Nomenclature

Commercial designations

Country	Commercial designations	Names accepted or permitted locally or regionally
Austria	de Germon de Thunfisch de Weißer Thun	–
Belgium	fr Thon fr Thon blanc ou Germon nl Tonijn nl witte tonijn	–
Bulgaria	bg Дългопер тон	–
Croatia	hr dugokrila tuna hr albakor	–
Cyprus	el μακρύπτερος τόνος	–
Czech Republic	cs Tuňák dlouhoploutvý cs Tuňák křídlatý	–
Denmark	da Hvid tun da langfinnet tun	–
Estonia	et Pikkuim-tuun	–
Finland	fi valkotonnikala sv vit tonfisk sv albacor	–
France	fr germon fr thon germon fr thon blanc	–
Germany	de Weißer Thun de Germon de Thunfisch	–
Greece	el Τόνος μακρύπτερος	–
Hungary	hu hosszúúszójú tonhal hu germon	–
Ireland	en Albacore tuna ga Tuinnín colgach	–
Italy	it Alalunga	–
Latvia	lv Garspuru tunzivs	–
Lithuania	lt ilgapelekis tunas	–
Luxembourg	de Germon de Thunfisch de Weißer Thun fr germon fr thon germon fr thon blanc	–
Malta	en Albacore it Tonno mt Alonga	–
Netherlands	nl Witte tonijn	–
Poland	pl Tuńczyk biały pl albakora	–
Portugal	pt Atum pt Atum-voador pt Germão	–
Romania	ro Ton alb	–
Slovakia	sk tuniak dlhoplutvý	–
Slovenia	sl beli tun	–
Spain	es Atún blanco es Bonito del norte es Albacora	Asturias: Mono Balearic Islands: Bacora Balearic Islands: Ullada Canary Islands: Barrilote Cantabria: Bonito del norte Catalonia: Bacora Valencia: Bacora Galicia: Bonito do norte Basque Country: Hegaluze
Sweden	sv Vit tonfisk sv albacor	–

Main production methods

Caught

Main fishing gears

Source: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. FishBase. Thunnus alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788)

TACs and quotas

Total allowable catches (TACs) or fishing opportunities, are catch limits (expressed in tonnes or numbers) that are set for most commercial fish stocks. TACs are set annually for most stocks (every two years for deep-sea stocks) by the Council of fisheries ministers. TACs are shared between EU countries in the form of national quotas. For each stock a different allocation percentage per EU country is applied for the sharing out of the quotas. Read more: TACs and quotas

Stocks (2021)

ALB/AN05N

Thunnus alalunga

Fishing areas

Atlantic Ocean, north of 5° N

TAC

37801.0 t

Union

28120.92 t

1925.7 t

17557.88 t

3115.11 t

5522.24 t

Stocks (2021)

ALB/AS05N

Thunnus alalunga

Fishing areas

Atlantic Ocean, south of 5° N

TAC

24000.0 t

Union

1837.5 t

905.86 t

297.7 t

633.94 t

Specific requirements that fishery products marketed in the EU shall meet. They include freshness and size categories.

Freshness categories

	A	B	Extra
Eye	Convex and slightly sunken; dark pupil; slightly opalescent cornea	Flat; blurred pupil; blood seepage around the eye	Convex, bulging; blue-black bright pupil, transparent ‘eyelid’
Gills	Less bright colour, paler at edges. Transparent mucus	Becoming thick discoloured opaque mucus	Uniformly dark red to purple. No mucus
Smell of gills	No smell or seaweed. Neutral smell	Slightly sulphureous fatty smell, rancid bacon cuttings or rotten fruit	Fresh seaweed; pungent; iodine
Gill covers	Silvery, slightly red or brown	Brownish and extensive seepage of blood from vessels	Silvery
Consistency of flesh	Fairly rigid, firm	Slightly soft	Very firm, rigid
Skin mucus	Slightly cloudy	Milky	Aqueous, transparent
Skin	Loss of lustre and shine; duller colours; less difference between dorsal and ventral surfaces	Dull, lustreless, insipid colours; skin creased when fish curved	Bright pigmentation, bright, shining iridescent colours; clear distinction between dorsal and central surfaces

Size categories

Size	weight/fish
1	≥ 4.0 kg
2	≥ 1.5 \| < 4.0 kg

This species is subject to Council Regulation (EEC) No 1536/92 of 9 June 1992 which defines the standard governing the marketing of preserved tuna and bonito. More

Habitat

Saltwater

FAO major fishing areas

Source: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. FishBase. Thunnus alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788)

Distribution maps

Source: Aquamaps - Computer Generated Native Distribution Map for Thunnus alalunga

Source: FAO - FAO aquatic species distribution map of Thunnus alalunga

Scientific name

Thunnus alalunga

Author

(Bonnaterre, 1788)

Rank

Species

FAO code

ALB

Morphological description

Anterior spines much higher than posterior spines giving the fin a strongly concave outline. Interpelvic process small and bifid. Body with very small scales. Pectoral fins remarkably long, about 30% of fork length or longer in 50 cm or longer fish. Ventral surface of liver striated and the central lobe is largest.

Taxonomic classification

ClassActinopterygii
- OrderPerciformes
  - FamilyScombridae
    - GenusThunnus
      - SpeciesThunnus alalunga

Synonyms

Orcynus germo (Lacepède, 1801)
Scomber alalunga Bonnaterre, 1788
Germo alalonga (Bonnaterre, 1788)
Thunnus alalunga (Cetti, 1777)
Germo germon (Lacepède, 1800)
Germo alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788)
Thynnus alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788)
Albacora alalonga (Bonnaterre, 1788)
Scomber germo Bennett, 1840
Thunnus alalonga (Bonnaterre, 1788)
Scomber germo Lacepède, 1801
Thynnus alalonga (Bonnaterre, 1788)
Thunnus germo (Lacepède, 1801)
Thunnus pacificus (Cuvier, 1832)
Thynnus pacificus Cuvier, 1832
Orcynus germon (Lacepède, 1800)
Scomber alalunga Cetti, 1777
Orcynus pacificus Cooper, 1863
Scomber albicans Walbaum, 1792
Orcynus alatunga (Gmelin, 1789)
Orcynus alalonga (Bonnaterre, 1788)
Scomber germon Lacepède, 1800
Germo germon steadi Whitley, 1933
Scomber alatunga Gmelin, 1789
Germo germo (Lacepède, 1801)

Source: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. FishBase. Thunnus alalunga (Bonnaterre, 1788)

An annually revised goods classification scheme used in EU for the purposes of customs duty and foreign trade statistics. The scheme is based on the Harmonized System nomenclature, further extended with Community subdivisions. Each subdivision is identified by an eight-digit numerical code. Read more: Combined Nomenclature

03 — CHAPTER 3 - FISH AND CRUSTACEANS, MOLLUSCS AND OTHER AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES
- 0302 — Fish, fresh or chilled, excluding fish fillets and other fish meat of heading 0304
  - Tuna (of the genus Thunnus), skipjack or stripe-bellied bonito (Euthynnus (Katsuwonus) pelamis), excluding livers and roes
    - 0302 31 — Albacore or longfinned tuna (Thunnus alalunga)
      - 0302 31 10 — For the industrial manufacture of products of heading 1604
      - 0302 31 90 — Other
- 0303 — Fish, frozen, excluding fish fillets and other fish meat of heading 0304
  - Tuna (of the genus Thunnus), skipjack or stripe-bellied bonito (Euthynnus (Katsuwonus) pelamis), excluding livers and roes
    - 0303 41 — Albacore or longfinned tuna (Thunnus alalunga)
      - 0303 41 10 — For the industrial manufacture of products of heading 1604
      - 0303 41 90 — Other
- 0304 — Fish fillets and other fish meat (whether or not minced), fresh, chilled or frozen
  - Frozen fillets of other fish
    - 0304 87 00 — Tuna (of the genus Thunnus), skipjack or stripe-bellied bonito (Euthynnus (Katsuwonus) pelamis)
16 — CHAPTER 16 - PREPARATIONS OF MEAT, OF FISH OR OF CRUSTACEANS, MOLLUSCS OR OTHER AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES
- 1604 — Prepared or preserved fish; caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs
  - Fish, whole or in pieces, but not minced
    - 1604 14 — Tuna, skipjack and bonito (Sarda spp.)
      - Tuna and skipjack
        Other
        1604 14 41 — In vegetable oil
        Other
        1604 14 46 — Fillets known as ‘loins’
        1604 14 48 — Other
  - 1604 20 — Other prepared or preserved fish
    - Other
      - 1604 20 70 — Of tuna, skipjack or other fish of the genus Euthynnus

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Thunnus alalunga

Commercial designations

Main production methods

Main fishing gears

Hooks and lines

Purse seines

TACs and quotas

Stocks (2021)

Stocks (2021)

Freshness categories

Size categories

Habitat

FAO major fishing areas

Area 21 - Atlantic, Northwest

Area 27 - Atlantic, Northeast

Area 31 - Atlantic, Western Central

Area 34 - Atlantic, Eastern Central

Area 37 - Mediterranean and Black Sea

Area 41 - Atlantic, Southwest

Area 47 - Atlantic, Southeast

Area 51 - Indian Ocean, Western

Area 57 - Indian Ocean, Eastern

Area 61 - Pacific, Northwest

Area 67 - Pacific, Northeast

Area 71 - Pacific, Western Central

Area 77 - Pacific, Eastern Central

Area 81 - Pacific, Southwest

Area 87 - Pacific, Southeast

Distribution maps