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
USS Skipjack (SSN-585) preparation for a refueling overhaul at General Dynamics' Electric Boat Division. After conducting a few more exercises, "Skipjack" entered the shipyard for overhaul in the summer of 1974 and remained inactive until the fall of 1976. "History from 1976 to 1979 needed." "History from 1980 to 1986 needed." On August 16, 1980, 'Skipjack' was in port in Callao, Peru, along with another US Navy surface vessel. In 1986, "Skipjack" deployed on a "Northern Run" to the North Atlantic Ocean. In 1987 "Skipjack" deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, returning in early September and entering dry-dock for the September – November time