U.S. wild-caught Atlantic or Pacific skipjack tuna is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.

Appearance

• 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 backward 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 four to six conspicuous dark bands that run from behind the head to the tail, which may look like a series of dark blotches.

Biology

• Like other tropical tunas, skipjack tuna grow fast, up to nearly 4 feet and more than 70 pounds.
• They 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.
• They are opportunistic feeders, preying on a variety of fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, mollusks, and sometimes other skipjack tunas.
• Large pelagic fishes such as billfish, sharks, and other large tunas prey on skipjack tuna.

Where They Live

Range

• Skipjack tuna are found in tropical and subtropical oceans around the world, including the waters around the U.S. Pacific Islands and the U.S. West Coast. In the western Atlantic, skipjack is found from Massachusetts to Brazil, including in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.

Habitat

• Skipjack tuna is a highly migratory species, swimming long distances to feed and reproduce.
• They 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. 

Is Skipjack Tuna Sustainable?

U.S. wild-caught Atlantic or Pacific skipjack tuna is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.

Availability

Pacific skipjack is available year-round. Atlantic skipjack is fresh in late summer through early fall, and frozen and canned year-round.

Source

• U.S. wild-caught from New York to Florida. (Atlantic skipjack tuna)
• U.S. wild-caught from Hawaii, California, U.S. Pacific Island territories, and the high seas. (Pacific skipjack tuna)

Taste

Skipjack tuna has the most pronounced taste of all of the tropical tunas.

Texture

Firm and moist with large flakes.

Color

When raw, good-quality skipjack tuna meat is deep red. Smaller fish are lighter red. Cooked skipjack becomes light gray.

Health Benefits

Skipjack is an excellent source of low-fat protein.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 1; Serving Weight: 100 g (raw); Calories: 103; Protein: 22.00 g; Total Fat: 1.01 g; Total Saturated Fatty Acids: 0.328 g; Carbohydrate: 0 g; Total Sugars: 0 g; Total Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Cholesterol: 47 mg; Selenium: 36.5 mcg; Sodium: 37 mg

FDA and EPA have issued advice regarding eating fish.

This advice can help those who might become or are pregnant or breastfeeding as well as parents and caregivers who are feeding children make informed choices when it comes to the types of fish that are nutritious and safe to eat.

Fish provide key nutrients that support a child’s brain development.

Fish are part of a healthy eating pattern and provide key nutrients during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and/or early childhood to support a child’s brain development:

• Omega-3 (called DHA and EPA) and omega-6 fats
• Iron
• Iodine (during pregnancy)
• Choline

Choline also supports development of the baby’s spinal cord. Fish provide iron and zinc to support children’s immune systems. Fish are a source of other nutrients like protein, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and selenium too.

Eating fish can provide other health benefits too.

Fish intake during pregnancy is recommended because moderate scientific evidence shows it can help your baby’s cognitive development.

Strong evidence shows that eating fish, as part of a healthy eating pattern, may have heart health benefits.

Healthy eating patterns that include fish may have other benefits too. Moderate scientific evidence shows that eating patterns relatively higher in fish but also in other foods, including vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, low- or non-fat dairy, lean meats and poultry, nuts, and unsaturated vegetable oils, and lower in red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened foods and beverages, and refined grains are associated with:

• Promotion of bone health – decreases the risk for hip fractures
• Decreases in the risk of becoming overweight or obese
• Decreases in the risk for colon and rectal cancers

A healthy eating pattern consists of choices across all food groups (vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, and protein foods, which includes fish), eaten in recommended amounts, and within calorie needs. Healthy eating patterns include foods that provide vitamins, minerals, and other health-promoting components and have no or little added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating fish as part of a healthy eating pattern.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends:

• At least 8 ounces of seafood (less for children) per week based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
• Those who are pregnant or breastfeeding consume between 8 and 12 ounces per week of a variety of seafood from choices that are lower in mercury.

Choose a variety of fish that are lower in mercury.

While it is important to limit mercury in the diets of those who are pregnant or breastfeeding and children, many types of fish are both nutritious and lower in mercury.

This chart can help you choose which fish to eat, and how often to eat them, based on their mercury levels.

What is a serving? As a guide, use the palm of your hand.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding:

• 1 serving is 4 ounces

Eat 2 to 3 servings a week from the "Best Choices" list
(OR 1 serving from the "Good Choices" list).

Childhood:
On average, a serving is about:

• 1 ounce at age 1 to 3
• 2 ounces at age 4 to 7
• 3 ounces at age 8 to 10
• 4 ounces at age 11

Eat 2 servings a week from the “Best Choices” list.