# Ahi, albacore, and plain old tuna

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ahi-albacore-and-plain-old-tuna/314122>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 25, 2005, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ahi-albacore-and-plain-old-tuna/314122 "2005-07-25T22:22:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ahi-albacore-and-plain-old-tuna/314122/1 "2005-07-25T22:22:45Z")

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So far, I know of three different kinds of tuna - the regular grey flaky stuff you get in a can, the more expensive white, flaky stuff you get in a can, and the sublimely delicious and expensive pink stuff you order in restaurants.

Are they all from the same kind of tuna - say the difference between ground round and tenderloin. Or are they three different kinds of tuna?

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**Author:** ![Doobieous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Doobieous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doobieous)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ahi-albacore-and-plain-old-tuna/314122/2 "2005-07-25T23:56:57Z")

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“Ahi” (Thunnus albacares) is simply yellowfin tuna (or specifically yellowfin caught around Hawaii, but all of the yellowfin are pretty much the same, save for possible sub-species). The light tuna you see is Albacore, Thunnus alalunga and is the most prized. The other type is Blue Fin, Thunnus thynnus. Skipjack is another tuna, although not in the same genus: Katsuwonus pelamis.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ahi-albacore-and-plain-old-tuna/314122/3 "2005-07-26T00:07:44Z")

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As well as there being several species of tuna, there are also several types or grades of canning (at least there are here);  
tuna flakes - very finely broken pieces of tuna, in oil or brine - the meat-to-liquid ratio for this stuff is often very poor.  
Tuna ‘steak’ - the can contains a single steak-cut piece of tuna that fits exactly in the can  
Tuna chunks - sort of halfway between flakes and steak - dice sized pieces of tuna

Obviously the stuff that’s going into the cans as ‘steak’ can only come from certain parts of the fish; chunks and flakes are less critical.

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**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ahi-albacore-and-plain-old-tuna/314122/4 "2005-07-26T00:31:45Z")

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Yep. Could be a leg or a wing.

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ahi-albacore-and-plain-old-tuna/314122/5 "2005-07-26T01:06:21Z")

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I’m a breast man myself.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ahi-albacore-and-plain-old-tuna/314122/6 "2005-07-26T02:08:16Z")

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> [@Cervaise](#):
>
> Yep. Could be a leg or a wing.

More likely a nugget.

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**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ahi-albacore-and-plain-old-tuna/314122/7 "2005-07-26T03:22:35Z")

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Which part of the tuna is the nugget?  
😕

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**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ahi-albacore-and-plain-old-tuna/314122/8 "2005-07-26T04:01:37Z")

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The elbow.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2005, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ahi-albacore-and-plain-old-tuna/314122/9 "2005-07-26T04:36:20Z")

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> [@Rick](#):
>
> Which part of the tuna is the nugget?  
> 😕

That’s what I’ve always wondered about chickens.