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
Helen Virginia (Skipjack boat) of Crisfield, MD, Helen Virginia sailed out of Deal Island, dredging oysters under Capt. Carroll Bozman and later, Capt. Jack Parkinson. She has a beam of and an overall length of . A 1987 entry in the Maryland State Archives notes that ""Helen Virginia" is a 43.2' long two-sail bateau, or v-bottomed deadrise type of centerboard sloop, commonly referred to as a skipjack... She carries a typical skipjack rig of jib-headed mainsail and a single large jib with a club on its foot. Built in 1948 in Crisfield, Maryland following traditional Bay design and construction methods, "Helen Virginia" is significant