Skipjack tuna important prey species for sharks and large pelagic fishes and is often used as live bait when fishing for Marlin. It has no scales, except on the lateral line and the corselet (a band of large, thick scales forming a circle around the body behind the head). It commonly reaches fork lengths up to and a weight of . Its maximum fork length is and maximum weight is . Ageing skipjack tuna is difficult, and the estimates of its potential lifespan range between 8 and 12 years. Skipjack tuna is a batch spawner. Spawning occurs year-round in equatorial waters, but
Skipjack shad is necessary to keep turbidity and siltation levels down, as this species will only live in waters that are clear to moderately turbid. Sampling of skipjack shad has been performed through the use of gillnetting and electro fishing. These methods are best utilized beneath impoundments over sand or gravel substrates around spawning time each spring, where they are most abundant. Sampling should be done across the entire native range to document its abundance in different locations and human induced changes. For now, skipjack shad have a stable abundance in the southern part of its distribution, and need more management plans