Skipjack Tuna

Species Information

Scientific Name:	Katsuwonus pelamis
Environment:	Offshore
Ideal Temp:	66-84°F (19-29°C)
Technique:	Casting, Chunking, Fly, Jigging, Trolling
Lure Type:	Flies, Jigs, Plugs, Spoons, Topwater, Trolling
World Record:	20.54 kg (45 lb 4 oz) Flathead Bank, Baja California, Mexico
Other Names:	skipjack, mushmouth, oceanic bonito, striped tuna, victor fish, arctic bonito

The skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, is a medium-sized perciform fish in the tuna family, Scombridae. It is otherwise known as the aku, arctic bonito, mushmouth, oceanic bonito, striped tuna, or victor fish. It grows up to 1 m (3 ft) in length. It is a cosmopolitan pelagic fish found in tropical and warm-temperate waters. It is a very important species for fisheries.

It is a streamlined, fast-swimming pelagic fish, common in tropical waters throughout the world, where it inhabits surface waters in large shoals (up to 50,000 fish), feeding on fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, and molluscs. It is an important prey species for large pelagic fishes and sharks. It has no scales, except on the lateral line and the corselet (a band of large, thick scales forming a circle around the body behind the head). It commonly reaches fork lengths up to 80 cm (31 in) and a weight of 8–10 kg (18–22 lb). Its maximum fork length is 108 cm (43 in) and maximum weight is 34.5 kg (76 lb). Ageing skipjack tuna is difficult, and the estimates of its potential lifespan range between 8 and 12 years.

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