Katsuwonus pelamis
Skipjack Tuna
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Collection Details
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Scombridae (Mackerels)
Katsuwonus
Katsuwonus pelamis (Skipjack Tuna)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Two horizontal ridges on upper surface of tongue, closely spaced dorsal fins, snout longer than eye diameter, maxilla extends below eye, jaw teeth small, conical, little compressed, and arranged in a single series, palatine has teeth but vomer lacks teeth, gill rakers on first arch number 53 to 63, pectoral fin small with 26 or 27 rays, first dorsal fin originates slightly behind pectoral fin base, elevated anteriorly and very short posteriorly, with 14 to 16 spines, second dorsal fin separated from first by distance equal to eye length, with 12 rays, followed by seven to nine finlets, interpelvic process bilobed and shorter than pelvic fin, anal fin similar in shape and size to second dorsal fin, with 1 spine and 12 rays, followed by seven or eight finlets, caudal peduncle with well-developed lateral keel between short diagonal keels, caudal fin semilunate and rather short and deep, body naked except for corselet of scales, lateral line single and slightly wavy, gas bladder absent, vertebrae number 41
Purplish blue dorsally and silvery on side and belly, with four to six dark stripes on lower side and belly, wavy stripes may appear as a series of dark blotches in life
Distribution
Southern Nova Scotia and Bermuda to southern Brazil, including the entire Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea
Habitat Associations
Epipelagic schooling species in oceanic waters, concentrates in regions of upwelling, convergences between oceanic currents, and steep thermal gradients, temperature range between 14.7°C and 30°C
Biology
Mollusks, crustaceans, and ray-finned fishes, most feeding activity takes place in early morning and late afternoon
Maximum known size is 108 cm FL
Spawning takes place year-round in tropical waters and during spring and summer in warm temperate waters
Found in offshore waters; larvae restricted to waters with surface temperatures of 15°C to 30°C (Ref. 6390). 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 (Ref. 35388). Eggs and larvae are pelagic (Ref. 6769). Preyed upon by large pelagic fishes (Ref. 6885). Also taken by trolling on light tackle using plugs, spoons, feathers, or strip bait (Ref. 9684). Marketed fresh, frozen or canned (Ref. 9340, 9684 ); also dried-salted and smoked (Ref. 9987).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2021-01-15. Resilience: Medium (K=0.3-0.5; tm=2-3; tmax=12; Fec=61,516).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish.
References
Hoese and Moore 1977
Hoese and Moore 1998 (as Euthynnus pelamis)
Collette 2001e
Collette 2002g
Collette and Nauen 1983
Matsumoto et al. 1984
Robins and Ray 1986 (as E. pelamis)
Scott and Scott 1988
Boschung 1992
Smith 1997
Smith-Vaniz et al. 1999
Collette, B.B. and C.E. Nauen (1983) FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 2. Scombrids of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of tunas, mackerels, bonitos and related species known to date. Rome: FAO. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(2):137 p.
Collette, B.B. (1995) Scombridae. Atunes, bacoretas, bonitos, caballas, estorninos, melva, etc. p. 1521-1543. In W. Fischer, F. Krupp, W. Schneider, C. Sommer, K.E. Carpenter and V. Niem (eds.) Guia FAO para Identification de Especies para lo Fines de la Pesca. Pacifico Centro-Oriental. 3 Vols. FAO, Rome.
Collette, B.B. (2001) Scombridae. Tunas (also, albacore, bonitos, mackerels, seerfishes, and wahoo). p. 3721-3756. In K.E. Carpenter and V. Niem (eds.) FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Vol. 6. Bony fishes part 4 (Labridae to Latimeriidae), estuarine crocodiles. FAO, Rome.
Cox, S., T. Essington, J. Kitchell, S. Martell, C. Walters, C. Boggs and I. Kaplan (2002) Reconstructing ecosystem dynamics in the central Pacific Ocean, 1952-1998. II. A Preliminary assessment of the throphic impacts of fishing and effects on tuna dynamics. Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 59(11):1736-1747.
McMillan, P.J., L.H. Griggs, M.P. Francis, P.J Marriott, L.J. Paul, E. Mackay, B.A. Wood, H. Sui and F. Wei (2011) New Zealand fishes. Volume 3: A field guide to common species caught by surface fishing. New Zealand Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Report No. 69. 145 p.
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