Atum
In Madeira, the bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), the yellowfin tuna (T. albacora), the bigeye tuna (T. obesus), and the albacore tuna (T. alalonga) are known. Of these species, only the first and the last have been recorded in the seas of Portugal, with T. thynnus known to Portuguese fishermen by the names of atum, atum de direito, and atum de revés, and T. alalonga by the names of atum galha comprida, alvacora, and albacora. Formerly, tuna was called the poor man's meat, because of the low price at which this quite substantial fish was sold in the market (25 to 80 reis per kilo, depending on abundance), but today it is hardly possible to obtain the same fish for less than 300 reis per kilo.
The albacore tuna, or simply albacore, is more highly regarded than the other species, as its meat is more flavorful and light, sometimes acquiring an almost white color through cooking.
The tunas, teleost fish of the family Scombridae, are caught on a line and not in nets, as is the case in the Mediterranean. The bluefin tuna, which is the largest, appears mainly from March to May, the yellowfin tuna from August to October, the bigeye tuna from March to May, and the albacore from November to January.