U.S. wild-caught Atlantic or Pacific yellowfin tuna is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.

Appearance

• Yellowfin tuna are torpedo-shaped.
• They are metallic dark blue on the back and upper sides and change from yellow to silver on the belly.
• True to their name, their dorsal and anal fins and finlets are bright yellow.
• An adult yellowfin tuna can be distinguished from other tunas by its long, bright-yellow dorsal fin and a yellow stripe down its side.

Biology

• Yellowfin tuna grow fast, up to 6 feet long and 400 pounds, and have a somewhat short life span of 6 to 7 years.
• Most yellowfin tuna are able to reproduce when they reach age 2.
• They spawn throughout the year in tropical waters and seasonally at higher latitudes.
• Their peak spawning periods are in spring and fall.
• Yellowfin are very productive. Females can spawn almost daily and release millions of eggs each time they spawn.
• Adult yellowfin tuna feed near the top of the food chain on fish, squid, and crustaceans.
• Fish, seabirds, dolphins, and other animals prey on larval and juvenile tuna.
• Marine mammals, billfish, and sharks feed on adult tuna.

Where They Live

Range

• Yellowfin tuna are found in tropical and subtropical oceans around the world, including the waters around the U.S. Pacific Islands and off southern California. 

Habitat

• Yellowfin tuna are highly migratory and travel long distances throughout the warm ocean.
• They favor water temperatures between 64° and 88° F.
• They make annual trips to higher latitudes as water temperatures increase with the seasons.
• Larval and juvenile yellowfin tuna stay in surface waters, while older yellowfin tuna are often found in deeper water.
• Yellowfin tuna are known to gather around drifting flotsam (natural floating debris), fish aggregating devices (FADs), anchored buoys, dolphins, and other large marine animals.
• Adult yellowfin also gather in areas having abundant phytoplankton and zooplankton and smaller prey.

Is Yellowfin Tuna Sustainable?

U.S. wild-caught Atlantic or Pacific yellowfin tuna is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.

Availability

Year-round.

Source

• U.S. wild-caught from Hawaii, California, U.S. Pacific Island territories, and the high seas. (Pacific yellowfin tuna)
• U.S. wild-caught from Massachusetts to Texas. (Atlantic yellowfin tuna)

Taste

Yellowfin tuna has a mild, meaty flavor. It’s more flavorful than albacore, but leaner than bluefin tuna.

Texture

The meat is firm and moist with large flakes.

Color

Meat is bright red when raw and turns brown to grayish-tan when cooked.

Health Benefits

Yellowfin tuna is low in saturated fat and sodium and is a very good source of protein, thiamin, selenium, vitamin B6, and omega-3s.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 1; Serving Weight: 100 g (raw); Calories: 109; Protein: 24.4 g; Total Fat: 0.49 g; Total Saturated Fatty Acids: 0.172 g; Carbohydrate: 0 g; Total Sugars: 0 g; Total Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Cholesterol: 39 mg; Selenium: 36.5 mcg; Sodium: 45 mg

FDA and EPA have issued advice regarding eating fish.

This advice can help those who might become or are pregnant or breastfeeding as well as parents and caregivers who are feeding children make informed choices when it comes to the types of fish that are nutritious and safe to eat.

Fish provide key nutrients that support a child’s brain development.

Fish are part of a healthy eating pattern and provide key nutrients during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and/or early childhood to support a child’s brain development:

• Omega-3 (called DHA and EPA) and omega-6 fats
• Iron
• Iodine (during pregnancy)
• Choline

Choline also supports development of the baby’s spinal cord. Fish provide iron and zinc to support children’s immune systems. Fish are a source of other nutrients like protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and selenium too.

Eating fish can provide other health benefits too.

Fish intake during pregnancy is recommended because moderate scientific evidence shows it can help your baby’s cognitive development.

Strong evidence shows that eating fish, as part of a healthy eating pattern, may have heart health benefits.

Healthy eating patterns that include fish may have other benefits too. Moderate scientific evidence shows that eating patterns relatively higher in fish but also in other foods, including vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, low- or non-fat dairy, lean meats and poultry, nuts, and unsaturated vegetable oils, and lower in red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, and refined grains are associated with:

• Promotion of bone health – decreases the risk for hip fractures
• Decreases in the risk of becoming overweight or obese
• Decreases in the risk for colon and rectal cancers

A healthy eating pattern consists of choices across all food groups (vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, and protein foods, which includes fish), eaten in recommended amounts, and within calorie needs. Healthy eating patterns include foods that provide vitamins, minerals, and other health-promoting components and have no or little added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating fish as part of a healthy eating pattern.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends:

• At least 8 ounces of seafood (less for children) per week based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
• Those who are pregnant or breastfeeding consume between 8 and 12 ounces per week of a variety of seafood from choices that are lower in mercury.

Choose a variety of fish that are lower in mercury.

While it is important to limit mercury in the diets of those who are pregnant or breastfeeding and children, many types of fish are both nutritious and lower in mercury.

This chart can help you choose which fish to eat, and how often to eat them, based on their mercury levels.

What is a serving? As a guide, use the palm of your hand.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding:

• 1 serving is 4 ounces

Eat 2 to 3 servings a week from the "Best Choices" list
(OR 1 serving from the "Good Choices" list).

Childhood:
On average, a serving is about:

• 1 ounce at age 1 to 3
• 2 ounces at age 4 to 7
• 3 ounces at age 8 to 10
• 4 ounces at age 11

Eat 2 servings a week from the “Best Choices” list.