Skipjack tuna addition, skipjack's livers were tested globally for tributyltin contamination. TBT is an organotin compound introduced into marine ecosystems through antifouling paint used on ship hulls, and has been determined to be very toxic. About 90% of skipjack tested positive for contamination, especially in Southeast Asia, where regulations of TBT use are less rigorous than in Europe or the US. Skipjack tuna is used extensively in Japanese cuisine, where it is known as . Besides being eaten seared () and raw in sushi and sashimi, it is also smoked and dried to make katsuobushi, the central ingredient in dashi (a common
Skipjack shad was much more abundant in the Upper Mississippi River basin before it was impounded. Currently, the skipjack shad is most abundant in the Upper Mississippi River below the mouth of the Ohio River. They are known as an "early-run" species as they migrate to spawn in the early spring. The skipjack shad is restricted to the Gulf of Mexico and its drainage, in the United States. The Gulf of Mexico drainage includes the ACF (Apalachicola/Chattahoochee/Flint River) basin, the Mississippi basin, and the Rio Grande basin. Records indicate that this species was more abundant in the upper Mississippi River before it