Tuna, yellowfin / Atún aleta amarilla Thunnus albacares

Vernacular names:
Es: Rabil
Fr: Albacore
In: Yellowfin tuna

Local names:
Colombia: Albacora, Atún tropical de aleta amarilla
Costa rica: Atún de aleta amarilla
Chile: Atún de aleta amarilla
Ecuador: Albacora, Atún aleta amarilla, yellowfin, Tuna
México: Atún de aleta amarilla
Nicaragua: Atún de aleta amarilla
Panamá: Atún de aleta amarilla
Perú: Atún, Atún de aleta amarilla, tuno, tuno de aleta amarilla

Commercial names:
Albacore, Yellowfin, Tuna, Yellowfin tuna

Simile of international trade:
Thunnus thynnus, T. obesus, T. alalunga

Geographical distribution:
Its distribution goes from 32° 43' N to 37° 00' S in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

Habitat and biology:
Lives in oceanic waters, it is a epipelagic specie, from the surface to 100 m of depth and in temperatures between 18° C and 31° C. Spawns all year round. It feeds on fish, cefalopods and crustaceans as the swimming crab (euphylax dovii).

Length:
Its means length is 130 cm (TL), in the artisanal fishing, predominates specimens of up to 67 kg.

Principal ports of landing:
Esmeraldas, Manta, San Mateo, Santa Rosa, and Anconcito.

Types of fisheries:
Artisanal, industrial and sport.

Fishing season:
All year round, mainly in the second semesters.

Landings:
The annual unloading average in artisanal fisheries is 7560 tons. For the Tunas of genus Thunnus in the artisanal fisheries.

Types of vessel:
Fiberglass and wood boats, balandras (artisanal fleet), purse seiners and logliners ships (industrial fleet).

Importance:
The bigeye tuna (thunnus obesus) and the yellowfin tuna (T. albacares) constitute 60% of the exports of the fresh fish, taking first place by species in the exports.

Processing (fresh and frozen):

H&G:
Headless and gutted, skin on, tail-off.

Loins:
with or without skin, boneless.

Portions:
Skinless or boneless.

Packing:

H&G:
Waxed cardboard boxes, insulated, plastic liner, covered with paper and gel packs.

Loins:
When fresh, in waxed cardboard boxes, insulated, plastic liner, vacuum packed, with gel packs.

Portions:
waxed cardboard boxes, with or without vacuum packed bags.