Albacore is a species of tuna prized for its mild flavor and pale, firm meat. When you open a can of “white tuna,” you're almost certainly eating albacore. Unlike the darker, stronger-tasting skipjack tuna used in most regular canned tuna, albacore has light-colored flesh that stays tender when cooked.

These fish live in temperate and tropical oceans worldwide, swimming in schools near the surface. Albacore are powerful swimmers with distinctive long pectoral fins that can stretch nearly to their tails. They can grow to about four feet long and weigh up to 80 pounds, though most caught for food are much smaller.

Commercial fishermen catch albacore using poles and lines or special nets. Because albacore fetch higher prices than other tuna species, you'll see “albacore” or “white tuna” prominently displayed on more expensive cans at the grocery store. The meat makes excellent tuna salad and sandwiches, and fresh albacore steaks can be grilled like other fish.