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Tuna » Canned light tuna (skipjack)

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Details About Canned light tuna (skipjack)

canned light tuna

a.k.a. Katsuwonus pelamis, bonito, aku

Health Details

  • Adults can safely eat more than 4 meals per month
  • But due to moderate mercury levels we recommend:
    • Kids age 6-12 should eat no more than 4+ meals per month
    • Kids up to age 6 should eat no more than 3 meals per month

More about seafood and health »

Eco Details

Canned light tuna consists primarily of skipjack. These small tunas are resilient to fishing pressure because of their short life spans and rapid growth and reproduction rates.

Most skipjack are caught by pole-and-line (a method of fishing that does relatively little ecological harm) or purse seine fleets (which can result in considerable bycatch).

This highly migratory species is managed by international organizations.

Nutritional Information

Serving = 100 g of raw edible food, wild species.

Amount per serving
Calories 103 g
Total Fat 1.01 g
Total Protein 22.0 g
Omega-3 0.256 g
Cholesterol 47 mg
Sodium 37 mg

Source: USDA

More About Canned light tuna (skipjack)

Skipjacks are the smallest of the commercially important tuna species. They form large schools in surface waters, often near seabirds, floating objects, sharks or whales.

Commercial Sources

Hawaii and California account for the small amount of fresh and frozen skipjack sold in the U.S. Thailand, the Philippines and Ecuador provide the U.S. with most of its canned tuna.

Capture Methods

Skipjack are captured by purse seine and pole-and-line fleets.

This guide is produced in collaboration with the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Banner image from "Endangered Ocean" © 2007 Marian Osher.