Tuna & Mackerel
Skipjack Tuna
Katsuwonus pelamis
SaltwaterScombridaeLeast Concern
About
Skipjack tuna are streamlined, medium-sized fish characterized by their dark purple-blue backs and silvery sides and bellies, featuring distinctive dark stripes. They are highly migratory and schooling fish, often found in large aggregations with other tuna species.
- Average size
- 45-80 cm (18-31 inches), 2.5-8 kg (5.5-17.6 lbs)
- Colors
- Dark purple-blue back, silvery sides and belly, dark stripes on the lower sides
- Diet
- Fish, crustaceans, cephalopods (squid)
- Region
- Primarily found in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, including waters off Hawaii and the US West Coast (though less common than other tuna species in US waters).