Atlantic Yellowfin Tuna

This is a Nature Guide page (viewing and ID). Catch limits, tackle, and charter fit live on the separate Fishing species profile—we keep those products apart on purpose.

How to recognize them

• Yellowfin tuna grow fairly fast, up to 400 pounds, and have a somewhat short life span of about 7 years.
• Most yellowfin tuna are able to reproduce when they reach age 2 or 3.
• In the western Atlantic, they spawn from May to August in the Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico) and from July to November in the southeastern Caribbean.
• In the eastern Atlantic, they spawn from October to March in the Gulf of Guinea and from April to June off Senegal.
• Females spawn about once every 3 days during the spawning season.
• They produce an average of 1 million to 4 million eggs each time they spawn.
• Yellowfin tuna feed near the top of the food chain on fish, squid, and crustaceans.
• They are prey for top predators such as sharks and large fish.
• Where They Live Range Yellowfin tuna are found near the surface of tropical and subtropical oceans around the world.
• Habitat Yellowfin tuna are highly migratory and can swim across an entire ocean.
• Juvenile yellowfin tuna travel in schools with skipjack and juvenile bigeye tuna.
• Fishery Management NOAA Fisheries and the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Division manage the Atlantic yellowfin tuna fishery in the United States.
• Managed under the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan and amendments: Commercial fishermen must have a permit to harvest yellowfin tuna.
• Federal management for Atlantic tunas applies to state waters as well, except in Maine, Connecticut, and Mississippi.
• NOAA Fisheries periodically reviews these states’ regulations to make sure they’re consistent with federal regulations.
• Highly migratory species, such as yellowfin tuna, have complicated management that requires international cooperation.
• The United States participates in regional fisheries management organizations, such as the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), to enhance tuna management worldwide.
• NOAA Fisheries sets regulations for the U.S. western Atlantic yellowfin tuna fishery based on our science as well as conservation and management measures adopted by ICCAT.
• In 2011, ICCAT adopted new yellowfin tuna management standards that reduced the catch of small yellowfin off West Africa and brought other fishing nations closer to U.S. standards.
• In 2013, ICCAT adopted a measure to expand reporting requirements for tropical tuna fisheries using fish aggregating devices (FADs).
• The measure will improve data collection and allow ICCAT scientists to better characterize the fishing effort associated with FAD fishing.
• In 2000, the United States established the Dolphin-Safe Tuna Tracking and Verification Program to monitor the domestic production and importation of all frozen and processed tuna products nationwide and to authenticate any associated dolphin-safe claim.
• Harvest Commercial fishery: U.S. landings of Atlantic yellowfin tuna generally represent a small percentage of the total international landings of Atlantic yellowfin tuna.
• Yellowfin tuna is the principal species of tropical tuna landed by U.S. fisheries in the western North Atlantic.
• The majority of U.S. commercial landings come from the longline fleet operating in the northwest Atlantic, Gulf of America, and Caribbean.
• Gear types, habitat impacts, and bycatch: U.S. commercial fishermen primarily use longline, rod-and-reel, and handline gear to harvest Atlantic yellowfin tuna.
• Pelagic longline gear and handgear (handline and rod-and-reel) used to catch yellowfin tuna have no impact on habitat because they’re used in the water column and don’t come into contact with the ocean floor.
• Handgear is very selective so bycatch is minimal, but pelagic longlines can incidentally catch other fish and protected species such as marine mammals and sea turtles.
• NOAA Fisheries has taken the following additional measures to prevent bycatch and sustainably manage this fishery.
• Fishermen are: Required to use large circle hooks and certain types of bait that limit gear interactions with sea turtles.
• Circle hooks are specifically designed to minimize the damage caused by hooking, giving animals that are captured and released a better chance at survival.
• Trained to use special techniques to safely dehook and release any incidentally caught turtles.
• Required to stop fishing and move 1 nautical mile if they encounter a protected species.
• Required to protect pilot whales and Risso's dolphins when fishing in the Mid-Atlantic Bight by limiting the length of their lines to 20 nautical miles and posting marine mammal handling/release guidelines on their vessels.
• In addition, if fishing in the Cape Hatteras Special Research Area, pelagic longliners must contact NOAA Fisheries at least 48 hours prior to a trip and carry observers if requested.
• Required to use weak hooks in the Gulf of America to reduce incidental catch of bluefin tuna and prohibited from using live bait to reduce bycatch of billfish.
• Restricted from areas of the Gulf of America to reduce bycatch of all species.
• Required to carry vessel monitoring systems onboard their boats to ensure compliance with these closures.
• Required to carry at-sea fisheries observers upon request.
• NOAA Fisheries reviews observer data to monitor protected species interactions and takes appropriate action as necessary.
• Recreational fishery: A high proportion of landings are rod-and-reel catches by recreational anglers.
• Recreational fishermen enjoy catching yellowfin tuna because they’re large (up to 400 pounds) and they fight hard.
• Recreational fishermen must have a permit to catch yellowfin tuna.
• However, catch, tag, and release is allowed.
• Recreational fishing for highly migratory species such as yellowfin tuna provides significant economic benefits to coastal communities through individual angler expenditures, recreational charters, tournaments, and the shoreside businesses that support those activities.
• Scientific Classification Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Actinopterygii Order Scombriformes Family Scombridae Genus Thunnus Species albacares Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 07/02/2026

Biology notes

• Yellowfin tuna are found near the surface of tropical and subtropical oceans around the world.
• Habitat Yellowfin tuna are highly migratory and can swim across an entire ocean.
• Juvenile yellowfin tuna travel in schools with skipjack and juvenile bigeye tuna.
• Fishery Management NOAA Fisheries and the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Division manage the Atlantic yellowfin tuna fishery in the United States.
• Managed under the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan and amendments: Commercial fishermen must have a permit to harvest yellowfin tuna.
• Federal management for Atlantic tunas applies to state waters as well, except in Maine, Connecticut, and Mississippi.
• NOAA Fisheries periodically reviews these states’ regulations to make sure they’re consistent with federal regulations.
• Highly migratory species, such as yellowfin tuna, have complicated management that requires international cooperation.
• The United States participates in regional fisheries management organizations, such as the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), to enhance tuna management worldwide.
• NOAA Fisheries sets regulations for the U.S. western Atlantic yellowfin tuna fishery based on our science as well as conservation and management measures adopted by ICCAT.
• In 2011, ICCAT adopted new yellowfin tuna management standards that reduced the catch of small yellowfin off West Africa and brought other fishing nations closer to U.S. standards.
• In 2013, ICCAT adopted a measure to expand reporting requirements for tropical tuna fisheries using fish aggregating devices (FADs).
• The measure will improve data collection and allow ICCAT scientists to better characterize the fishing effort associated with FAD fishing.
• In 2000, the United States established the Dolphin-Safe Tuna Tracking and Verification Program to monitor the domestic production and importation of all frozen and processed tuna products nationwide and to authenticate any associated dolphin-safe claim.
• Harvest Commercial fishery: U.S. landings of Atlantic yellowfin tuna generally represent a small percentage of the total international landings of Atlantic yellowfin tuna.
• Yellowfin tuna is the principal species of tropical tuna landed by U.S. fisheries in the western North Atlantic.
• The majority of U.S. commercial landings come from the longline fleet operating in the northwest Atlantic, Gulf of America, and Caribbean.
• Gear types, habitat impacts, and bycatch: U.S. commercial fishermen primarily use longline, rod-and-reel, and handline gear to harvest Atlantic yellowfin tuna.
• Pelagic longline gear and handgear (handline and rod-and-reel) used to catch yellowfin tuna have no impact on habitat because they’re used in the water column and don’t come into contact with the ocean floor.
• Handgear is very selective so bycatch is minimal, but pelagic longlines can incidentally catch other fish and protected species such as marine mammals and sea turtles.
• NOAA Fisheries has taken the following additional measures to prevent bycatch and sustainably manage this fishery.
• Fishermen are: Required to use large circle hooks and certain types of bait that limit gear interactions with sea turtles.
• Circle hooks are specifically designed to minimize the damage caused by hooking, giving animals that are captured and released a better chance at survival.
• Trained to use special techniques to safely dehook and release any incidentally caught turtles.
• Required to stop fishing and move 1 nautical mile if they encounter a protected species.
• Required to protect pilot whales and Risso's dolphins when fishing in the Mid-Atlantic Bight by limiting the length of their lines to 20 nautical miles and posting marine mammal handling/release guidelines on their vessels.
• In addition, if fishing in the Cape Hatteras Special Research Area, pelagic longliners must contact NOAA Fisheries at least 48 hours prior to a trip and carry observers if requested.
• Required to use weak hooks in the Gulf of America to reduce incidental catch of bluefin tuna and prohibited from using live bait to reduce bycatch of billfish.
• Restricted from areas of the Gulf of America to reduce bycatch of all species.
• Required to carry vessel monitoring systems onboard their boats to ensure compliance with these closures.
• Required to carry at-sea fisheries observers upon request.
• NOAA Fisheries reviews observer data to monitor protected species interactions and takes appropriate action as necessary.
• Recreational fishery: A high proportion of landings are rod-and-reel catches by recreational anglers.
• Recreational fishermen enjoy catching yellowfin tuna because they’re large (up to 400 pounds) and they fight hard.
• Recreational fishermen must have a permit to catch yellowfin tuna.
• However, catch, tag, and release is allowed.
• Recreational fishing for highly migratory species such as yellowfin tuna provides significant economic benefits to coastal communities through individual angler expenditures, recreational charters, tournaments, and the shoreside businesses that support those activities.
• Scientific Classification Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Actinopterygii Order Scombriformes Family Scombridae Genus Thunnus Species albacares Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 07/02/2026

Habitat & range

• NOAA Fisheries and the Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Division manage the Atlantic yellowfin tuna fishery in the United States.
• Managed under the 2006 Consolidated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Fishery Management Plan and amendments: Commercial fishermen must have a permit to harvest yellowfin tuna.
• Federal management for Atlantic tunas applies to state waters as well, except in Maine, Connecticut, and Mississippi.
• NOAA Fisheries periodically reviews these states’ regulations to make sure they’re consistent with federal regulations.
• Highly migratory species, such as yellowfin tuna, have complicated management that requires international cooperation.
• The United States participates in regional fisheries management organizations, such as the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), to enhance tuna management worldwide.

Population status

• 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.
• Yellowfin tuna can be distinguished from other tunas by their long, bright yellow dorsal fin and a yellow strip down the side.
• They are also more slender than bluefin tuna.
• Biology Yellowfin tuna grow fairly fast, up to 400 pounds, and have a somewhat short life span of about 7 years.

Where to see them around Ocean City

• Most reliable views are from head boats and private sportfish day trips when bluewater is close—watch for birds, bait, and surface activity from the rail.
• Shore viewers rarely see canyon pelagics; use the Inlet and Assateague for coastal species instead, then treat offshore sightings as trip bonuses.
• Keep a respectful distance if a vessel approaches whales, sharks, or rays—follow NOAA approach guidelines and captain instructions.
• Atlantic Yellowfin Tuna is a bluewater animal for most visitors—treat shore sightings as rare bonuses, not the main plan.

When to look

• Peak bluewater viewing usually tracks summer and early fall when warm water and bait move onto the shelf.
• Weather windows matter more than calendar weeks—canceled canyon days mean fewer offshore sightings for visitors.
• Winter and early spring sightings are possible but less predictable from a typical vacation schedule.

Viewing tips & etiquette

• Use binoculars or a long lens; do not enter the water to corner fish, rays, or sharks for photos.
• Respect beach nesting closures, stay off dunes, and keep dogs leashed where required.
• If you find a stranded or injured animal, contact official wildlife responders—do not attempt rescue yourself.
• For harvest rules, size limits, or charter planning, use the Fishing profile for Atlantic Yellowfin Tuna —not this Nature Guide page.

Sources

• NOAA Fisheries species profile (biology reference; angling product stays on our Fishing hub)
• OCEANCITY.MD Fishing species profile