What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
The answer depends on what you count. A 2007 Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) technical report says tunas comprise 15 species in four genera. However, the appendix text available from that report shows 14 common-name entries, so it should not be treated as a verified, complete modern checklist. Other FAO overviews give 14 species in four genera or 15 species in five genera because they use different scopes and classifications. In seafood and everyday conversation, people usually mean a smaller set of principal market tunas.
Why there is no single tuna number
“Tuna” can mean several different things:
- Taxonomy: a biological classification of species and genera.
- Market species: the tunas most commonly traded or sold as seafood.
- Regulatory categories: a list created for a particular program, country or trade rule.
Those scopes are not interchangeable. A count is meaningful only when the source, date and purpose are named with it. Tunas also belong to a broader group of tuna-like fishes; adding every mackerel or bonito to a tuna total would change the question rather than answer it.
What the 2007 FAO classification says
The FAO technical report published in 2007 states: “Tunas are subclassified into four genera (Thunnus, Euthynnus, Katsuwonus and Auxis) with 15 species all together.” That is a source-specific figure, not a timeless consensus.
| Scope | Reported count | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| FAO technical report (2007) | 15 species in four genera | The report’s stated classification; the retrieved appendix text displays 14 named entries. |
| Another FAO overview | 14 species in four genera | A different overview and scope, not a correction that can simply be merged with the 2007 figure. |
| Another FAO overview | 15 species in five genera | A distinct classification description that separates Pacific bluefin from Atlantic bluefin. |
| NOAA U.S. trade-program list | 9 species or categories | A regulatory list for U.S. trade guidance, not a complete world inventory. |
The tuna names shown in the FAO appendix
The appendix text associated with the 2007 report names the following 14 entries. Scientific names are included because common names can vary by region.
#1 Best Overall
| Genus | Common name | Scientific name |
|---|---|---|
| Thunnus | Albacore | Thunnus alalunga |
| Thunnus | Yellowfin | Thunnus albacares |
| Thunnus | Blackfin | Thunnus atlanticus |
| Thunnus | Southern bluefin | Thunnus maccoyii |
| Thunnus | Bigeye | Thunnus obesus |
| Thunnus | Atlantic bluefin | Thunnus thynnus |
| Thunnus | Pacific bluefin | Thunnus orientalis |
| Thunnus | Longtail | Thunnus tonggol |
| Katsuwonus | Skipjack | Katsuwonus pelamis |
| Euthynnus | Kawakawa | Euthynnus affinis |
| Euthynnus | Little tunny | Euthynnus alleteratus |
| Auxis | Black skipjack | Auxis lineatus |
| Auxis | Bullet tuna | Auxis rochei |
| Auxis | Frigate tuna | Auxis thazard |
Because the report says 15 but the retrieved appendix text shows 14 names, a responsible article should not invent or guess the missing entry. The discrepancy needs to be checked against the original appendix before publishing an exhaustive numbered list.
The principal market tunas people usually mean
In the FAO report, six principal market species are in the genus Thunnus:
- Albacore
- Bigeye
- Atlantic bluefin
- Pacific bluefin
- Southern bluefin
- Yellowfin
Skipjack is also identified as a principal market tuna, but it belongs to the separate genus Katsuwonus. This seven-species market grouping is useful for food and fisheries discussions, yet it is not the same as the full taxonomic count.
What NOAA’s nine-item U.S. list means
NOAA’s tuna list for U.S. trade-program purposes contains nine species or categories: albacore, bigeye, blackfin, Atlantic bluefin, Pacific bluefin, southern bluefin, longtail, skipjack and yellowfin. It is designed for regulatory guidance. It therefore omits some entries found in the broader FAO classification and should not be described as the world’s complete tuna inventory.
One example of identifying a tuna species
NOAA describes Pacific bluefin (Thunnus orientalis) as having dark dorsal coloring, silver or gray spots or bands on the belly, and small yellow fins edged in black. Its pectoral-fin tips do not reach the front of the second dorsal fin. These features apply specifically to Pacific bluefin; they are not a universal identification key for every tuna.
Quick Recap
Best Value
How to answer the question accurately
- For the FAO 2007 technical classification, say “15 species in four genera,” and identify the report and year.
- If presenting names, explain that the available appendix text shows 14 entries and that the stated total has not been reconciled.
- For food-market discussions, identify the seven principal market tunas rather than calling them the entire tuna family.
- For U.S. trade rules, call NOAA’s nine-item list a regulatory list.
- Do not combine different FAO overviews into one supposedly definitive present-day total.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
