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Fish, Crustaceans & Cephalopods

Beche De Mer
(Sea Cucumber)

Skipjack Tuna is also known as Striped Tuna or Stripies. The skipjack or striped tuna is also known by many Australian anglers as the "stripey". In Hawaii, the Polynesian name for this prolific species is "aku". As with all the tunas, the name "tunny" is still sometimes used, and skipjacks are often confused with bonito (Sarda australis and S. orientalis).

Skipjack Tuna are dark blue or purple on the back and silvery on their lower sides and belly.  They have three to five prominent, dark longitudinal bands on their lower sides.  These tuna have fine, slender teeth, a strong median keel on the caudal fin base between two small keels, and barely separated first and second dorsal fins.,   They have a total of 53-63 gill rakers on the first gill arch.

The skipjack is small to medium fish with a very thickset, barrel-like body that tapers abruptly to a relatively small, upright tail. This fish is characterised by its belly stripes, which contrast with the upper back and flank stripes of the true bonitos. Skipjack colouration is typically steel-blue to purple on the back, silvery-blue on the flanks and silvery-white on the belly. The belly area carries four to six longitudinal dark stripes.

Skipjack tuna are widespread in Australia's oceanic waters.  The global distribution of skipjack tuna includes all tropical and subtropical waters except for the eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.  They normally inhabit waters with surface temperatures of 20°C to 30°C.  However, adults are sometimes present waters as cold as 15°C.  Skipjack tuna also need a dissolved oxygen level of 2.5 ml per 1 of sea water to maintain a minimum swimming speed and require higher levels when active.   This requirement generally restricts skipjack tuna to water above the thermocline and in some areas, such as the eastern Pacific, may exclude them from surface waters.

The depth range of skipjack tuna can be from surface waters to 260m during the day, but at night it is much shallower.  Skipjack tuna are a schooling fish having a general tendency to school by size.

Skipjack tuna are thought to spawn in the Coral Sea off north Queensland and in waters off north western Australia.  In equatorial waters spawning occurs during all months, but in sub-tropical waters the season is restricted to summer and early autumn.

In tropical waters reproductively active female skipjack tuna spawn almost daily.   Ripe skipjack tuna eggs are about 1mm in diameter and transparent and buoyant.   Estimates of the number of eggs released at each spawning range from about 100,000 eggs for the smallest mature females to 2 million for the largest fish.  Skipjack tuna eggs hatch after 1-1.5 days.

Most striped tuna or skipjack caught by Australian anglers weigh from 1 to 6 kg, with a few giants of close to 10 kg turning up occasionally. Record catches in other parts of the world have topped 18 kg, but such fish are uncommon.

The warm East Australian Current distributes skipjack tuna larvae into subtropical waters off eastern Australia.

Angling for Skipjack Tuna | Tuna Fishing :

Skipjack tuna are commonly caught by sport and recreational anglers.  Most fish are caught by trolling or casting small lures from a boat.  Catches are also made using flies or baits of whole, small fish or flesh strips.  Skipjack tuna are a very good bait for a variety of marine fish, with large skipjack tuna being used for the larger species of tuna and billfish.

Skipjack are mainly pursued as bait for larger or more desirable target species, although they are brilliant sport fish in their own right, and provide one of the toughest battles, for their size, of any pelagic species. The vast majority of skipjack taken by anglers fall to small lures trolled behind boats or cast-and-retrieved from boats, deep shorelines or jetties and wharves. Striped tuna will also take un-weighted pilchards or small flesh-strip baits and even small live baits at times, especially when these are fished in conjunction with a berley trial.

Cooking Skipjack Tuna:

In the past, skipjack were not often eaten in Australia because of their dark, blood-rich meat and strong flavour. However, if bled promptly and kept on ice they are quite palatable in casseroles, pies or when baked. They are also well suited to canning, smoking, salting and drying. They also make superb baits, and may be used alive for marlin, sharks and big tuna, dead for the same range of species, or cut into strips, cubes or slabs for practically any carnivorous saltwater fish.

TUNA RECIPES

Recipes for Fresh Tuna - From How To Cook Fish

Microwave Cooking Times for Fish
- Fish fillets – 5 minutes per 500g on medium-high, +50 seconds more for thicker fillets, or until flesh flakes
- Whole fish - Large – 6 minutes/750g on medium
- Whole fish – Small – 3-4 minutes on medium

Baked Salmon or Tuna Rolls	Spicy Tuna Roll	Tuna Melt Cheese	Tuna Salad

Commercial Fishing for Skipjack Tuna:

Commercial fishing for Skipjack Tuna is generally carried out from December to March   by pole-and-line and purse seine vessels.  Yellowfin and albacore tuna are taken as a bycatch of both fishing methods.

Exporters of Skipjack Tuna  |  Importers of Skipjack Tuna  |  Processors of Skipjack Tuna  |
Wholesale Suppliers of Skipjack Tuna  |  Agents for Skipjack Tuna

More links about Skipjack Tuna and Tuna Information

West Coast Tuna Fishing History - The Rise & Fall of the Tuna Industry in San Diego USA. Written by Arnold Fernandes - The Tuna Industry in San Diego was started by the Chinese and Japanese in the early 1890s and then was dominated by the Portuguese and Italians in the early 1920's and up until the late 1980's. Many of the San Diego Fishermen started out on the East Coast and ended up in San Diego, California to escape the ruthless storms and bitter cold of the North Atlantic Ocean. My father came to the East Coast from Portugal and started out as a doryman on the Gloucester Schooners fishing off of the Grand Banks in the North Atlantic.......

San Diego Tuna Boats - Hi, my name is Jimmy, I’m second generation Portuguese on my Dad’s side and first generation on my Mom’s. I've always had a passion for Tuna Boats and their colorful history and have, over the years, amassed a large library of photos and many stories to go with them. In the hopes of keeping some of this history alive........

Tuna Association of Ecuador - Tuna Association of Ecuador, Atunec, is headquartered in the city of Manta, Ecuador, Manabi province, which accounts for the main fleet of vessels fishing for tuna in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Tuna vessel owners union members to generate strategies working in partnership and defense of their interests, seek common solutions to optimize the operations of the national fishing fleet and, in particular the associated