Finlets are uniformly dusky with only a trace of yellow, not bright lemon yellow like other tunas, and may have white edges. The 1st dorsal fin is dusky; 2nd dorsal and anal fins also dusky with a silvery lustre. The back of the fish is bluish-black, with the sides silvery-grey, and the belly milky white. Some have light vertical stripes on sides which alternate with light spots on lower flanks. Gill rakers are fewer in number with 19-25 on the first gill arch. A small swimbladder is present. The ventral surface of the liver is without striations, and the right lobe is longer than the left and center lobes. Common size: 28 inches.