Skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) is a saltwater species recorded in Hong Kong, United States. It is found at depths of 0–260 m. The main season in Hong Kong, United States runs spring.
Scientific name: Katsuwonus pelamis · Water: Saltwater · Season: Spring
Size: up to 110 cm
Weight: up to 34.5 kg
The Skipjack tuna is the only member of the genus Katsuwonus, known in Hong Kong as the smoke fish and in Hawaii as aku. A spindle-shaped scombrid, it has four to six dark stripes along a deep-blue back and a silver belly, scales only along the lateral line and the corselet behind the head, and no swim bladder, so it must keep moving to hold its depth. It is a surface-schooling fish of tropical and warm-temperate seas that gathers in shoals of tens of thousands and associates with birds, drifting objects, sharks and whales. It feeds on fish, crustaceans and cephalopods. Hong Kong has it in spring, while it is available all year in the United States with a peak from April to September. It reaches about 110 cm fork length and 34.5 kg, lives about 12 years, and IUCN lists it as Least Concern. In the United States the main fishery is Hawaii, taken by trolling, live-baiting or chumming, and roughly 95% of the world's canned tuna is this species.
Caution: large individuals carry a ciguatera risk. Heat, cold and marinating do not remove the toxin, which concentrates in the liver, roe and head, so avoid eating those parts. Seek medical help if numbness, tingling or a reversed sense of hot and cold follows a meal.
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