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
Fish stringer Fish stringer A fish stringer is a line of rope or chain along which a fisherman can string fish so they can be immersed and kept alive in water. A rope stringer "(pictured)" is the simplest type of fish stringer. It consists of a line of rope or wire with a stringing needle made of metal or hardwood at one end. The other end usually has a removable wire ring which can be used to secure the stringer. Using the needle, the stringer is threaded through the fish gill and out through its mouth, or better, it is threaded through