
Description: The body of the albacore tapers at both ends (cigar-shaped). The
head is long and the mouth fairly large. The color is dark gray to
metallic blue on the back becoming white to gray below. Albacore
are easily distinguished from the other tunas occurring off California,
with exception of the bigeye, by the extreme length of their pectoral
fins (they extend well past the anal fin). Albacore and bigeye can best
be distinguished by the characteristics of their livers. The albacore has
a heavily striated (covered with blood vessels) liver while the liver of
the bigeye is only lightly striated along the edges.