Tuna Katsuwonus pelamis or skipjack tuna, a mesopredator fish with highly migratory characteristics, it is one of the most abundant tuna species inhabiting the equatorial Pacific at depths of less than 100 metres and is among the five most heavily fished species in industrial fisheries. It is the third most fished fish globally (1).

Tuna meat contains excellent nutrients such as essential amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, peptides, vitamins and proteins.

In addition to meat, which is widely used, and quite safe to eat (unfortunately, all seas now suffer from widespread pollution that includes not only microplastics, but also the more dangerous heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium and others, not least dioxin) eggs, in the form of protein hydrolysate, have also proven their commercial value and are used as natural antioxidants.

Tail tendons are an alternative source for obtaining collagen, the main protein in vertebrate connective tissue (2).

Tuna by-products such as head, bones, skin and viscera serve as pet food, fertiliser, fishing bait and more.

References_____________________________________________________________________

(1) Chang YC, Chiang WC, Madigan DJ, Tsai FY, Chiang CL, Hsu HH, Lin SM, Zhuang MY, Sun CT, Chen LC, Wang SP. Trophic Dynamics and Feeding Ecology of Skipjack Tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) off Eastern and Western Taiwan. Molecules. 2022 Feb 5;27(3):1073. doi: 10.3390/molecules27031073. 

(2) Chanmangkang S, Wangtueai S, Pansawat N, Tepwong P, Panya A, Maneerote J. Characteristics and Properties of Acid- and Pepsin-Solubilized Collagens from the Tail Tendon of Skipjack Tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis). Polymers (Basel). 2022 Dec 6;14(23):5329. doi: 10.3390/polym14235329.