Group · Fish
Skipjack tuna
The skipjack tuna (known in French as thon listao), also called striped-bellied bonito, is the smallest and most abundant of the tunas. It is the fish that fills most of the « tuna » tins sold in Europe: it accounts for nearly half of the world’s tuna catch.
In terms of nutrition facts, raw: 97.1 kcal per 100 g for 22 g of protein and only 1.01 g of fat. It provides 15.4 mg of vitamin B3 (96% of the reference intake), 407 mg of potassium, 222 mg of phosphorus and 1.9 µg of vitamin B12 per 100 g.
Macronutrient breakdown
Nutrition table per 100 g
| Calories | 97 kcal |
| Kilojoules | 411 kJ |
| Protein | 22 g |
| Fat | 1,1 g |
Micronutrients per 100 g
All measured nutrients, ranked by share of the daily reference intake.
- Vitamin B315,4 mg96 %
- Vitamin B121,9 µg76 %
- DHA0,19 g76 %
- Vitamin B60,85 mg61 %
- Phosphorus222 mg32 %
- EPA0,07 g28 %
- Potassium407 mg20 %
- Total omega-30,26 g10 %
See the other 11 nutrients
- Magnesium34 mg9 %
- Iron1,25 mg9 %
- Copper0,09 mg9 %
- Zinc0,82 mg8 %
- Vitamin B20,1 mg7 %
- Vitamin B50,42 mg7 %
- Vitamin B99 µg5 %
- Calcium29 mg4 %
- Vitamin B10,03 mg3 %
- Vitamin C1 mg1 %
- Manganese0,02 mg1 %
Anses Ciqual 2025. Source: Anses, 2025, Ciqual food composition table
Tips
22 g of protein for 1.01 g of fat. This is a lean fish, contrary to what people imagine about tuna. Tuna in oil owes its 227 kcal to the oil in the tin, not to the fish.
15.4 mg of vitamin B3: one portion covers the day’s requirement. Tunas are the richest foods in niacin in the whole database.
Less mercury than the large tunas. Skipjack lives three to four years and stays small: it accumulates far less than bluefin tuna or albacore. It is the tuna to choose, and the species is named on the tins.
It is also the best-managed species. Its stocks are generally in better condition than those of other tunas. The fishing method, pole and line rather than purse seine with fish aggregating devices, makes the difference to bycatch.
Fresh, it is cooked like any tuna. Seared over very high heat, pink in the middle. Well done, it turns dry: its leanness is unforgiving.