Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis)

Scientific name: Katsuwonus pelamis Linnaeus, 1758

Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis)

The Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) is a marine fish of the family Scombridae. In the aquarium it needs water at 15–30°C (59–86°F).

Skipjack tuna care at a glance

Temperature
15–30°C (59–86°F)

Biology

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. Marketed fresh, frozen or canned; also dried-salted and smoked.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Katsuwonus pelamis
Family
Scombridae (Mackerels, tunas, bonitos)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
110
Common length
80.0
Depth range
0–260 m (0–853 ft)
Environment
Marine; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous; depth range 0 - 260 m, usually 0 - ? m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Cosmopolitan in tropical and warm-temperate waters. Not found in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. Highly migratory species, Annex I of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Reports of ciguatera poisoning
Uses
Fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.3-0.5; tm=2-3; tmax=12; Fec=80,000)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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