Skipjack Tuna

Grow fast up to nearly 4 feet and more than 70 lbs. Found in offshore waters; larvae restricted to waters with surface temperatures of 15°C to 30°C. Exhibit a strong tendency to school in surface waters with birds, drifting objects, sharks, whales and may show a characteristic behavior like jumping, feeding, foaming, etc. Feed on fishes, crustaceans, cephalopods and mollusks; cannibalism is common. Spawn throughout the year in the tropics, eggs released in several portions. Eggs and larvae are pelagic. Preyed upon by large pelagic fishes. Also taken by trolling on light tackle using plugs, spoons, feathers, or strip bait

Aku, Oceanic Bonito, Arctic Bonito, Striped Tuna, Watermelon, Bonite A Ventre Raye (French), Echter Bonito (German), Tonnetto Striato (Italian), Listado (S

Skipjack tuna are found in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate waters of all oceans. In the eastern Pacific, they’re found from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, to Peru; in the western Pacific they’re found from northern Japan to southern Australia. Skipjack tuna are a pelagic species – they mostly live in the open ocean, although they may spend part of their life in nearshore waters. They can be found in large schools swimming in warm, well-mixed surface waters and to depths of 850 feet during the day. They generally stay near the surface at night. Skipjack tuna is a highly migratory species, swimming long distances to feed and reproduce.

Skipjack tuna is a “highly migratory species” – these fish are found around the world and can travel across an entire ocean basin. Unlike non-migratory species found only off our coasts, U.S. fishermen aren’t the only ones fishing for highly migratory species. Skipjack tuna do not have scales except on the corselet and the lateral line. (The corselet is a band of large, thick scales forming a circle around the body behind the head and extending backwards along the lateral line. The lateral line is a faint line running lengthwise down each side of the fish.) Their back is dark purplish-blue, and their lower sides and belly are silvery with 4 to 6 conspicuous dark bands that run from behind the head to the tail, which may look like a series of dark blotches. Like other tropical tunas, skipjack tuna grow fast, up to nearly 4 feet and more than 70 pounds, and have a short life span compared to other temperate tunas, around 8 to 12 years. In the Pacific, skipjack are able to reproduce when they reach about 1.3 feet in length. They spawn throughout the year in tropical waters and seasonally (spring to early fall) in subtropical waters. Depending on their size, females produce between 100,000 and 2 million eggs each time they spawn. Once fertilized, the eggs hatch in about 1 day, depending on temperature. Skipjack spawn more than once a season, and some spawn almost every day. Skipjack tuna are opportunistic feeders, preying on a variety of fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, and mollusks. Cannibalism is also common. Large pelagic fishes such as billfish, sharks, and other large tunas prey on skipjack tuna. Dorsal spines (total): 14 - 16; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14-15; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 14 - 15; Vertebrae: 41. Interpelvic process small and bifid. Body without scales except for the corselet and the lateral line. Swim bladder absent. The back is dark purplish blue, lower sides and belly silvery, with 4 to six very conspicuous longitudinal dark bands which in live specimens may appear as continuous lines of dark blotches.

In tropical waters, reproductively active female skipjack tuna spawn almost daily.

Summary of Distribution: Cosmopolitan in tropical and warm-temperate waters. Not found in the Black Sea. Highly migratory species,
Note: Distribution range colors indicate degree of suitability of habitat which can be interpreted as probabilities of occurrence (fishbase.org)

	Trolling A trolling boat has multiple outriggers, poles and lines attached that use lures dragged across the ocean surface at speeds of 4 – 10 knots. Large beefy hooks are used with special durable lures allowing the fisherman to easily unhook the gamefish that has been caught and quickly get their lines back into the water. The larger the lures, the larger the potential fish, the larger the hooks. A tuna boat will usually make slow wide circles when trolling. A billfish boat will usually work ledges, fathom lines, zig zag area coordinates or make trolling circles if bait or a porpoise school is located and/or if they are fishing a FAD..
	Pelagic Longline This fishery uses a longline to catch a variety of pelagic fish on the high seas such as tuna and swordfish. A deep-set longline is used to primarily target tuna and a shallow-set longline is used to target swordfish or mixed species including bigeye, Albacore and yellowfin tuna. Baited hooks are attached to a line that floats in the ocean using buoys and flagpoles.

	Pelagic Longline This fishery uses a longline to catch a variety of pelagic fish on the high seas such as tuna and swordfish. A deep-set longline is used to primarily target tuna and a shallow-set longline is used to target swordfish or mixed species including bigeye, Albacore and yellowfin tuna. Baited hooks are attached to a line that floats in the ocean using buoys and flagpoles.

Any kind of casting tackle, small jigs, plugs and flies. If trolling, small feathers and spoons are best. Most commonly caught by Pole & line Fisherman by chumming bait, then using their feathered hooks.

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