Skipjack

Skipjack most commonly refers to the skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, a small to medium-sized pelagic fish found in warm oceans worldwide. It is highly migratory and forms large schools. Adults typically measure 40–60 cm, with some individuals reaching about a meter in length. Skipjack is one of the primary species used in canned tuna and is also valued in fresh or frozen forms. It is fished by purse seiners, pole-and-line fleets, and other capture methods in tropical and subtropical waters.

In the United States, skipjack is also the name of a traditional Chesapeake Bay oyster dredging sailboat. These wooden, shallow-draft vessels were used to dredge oysters in the Bay from the 19th into the early 20th century. They are known for their simple sail plans and working decks. Today a number of skipjacks survive as heritage vessels or are preserved in maritime museums, reflecting an important part of regional fishing history.

The name Skipjack has also appeared in naval contexts. USS Skipjack (SSN-585) is a U.S. Navy nuclear-powered submarine and the lead ship of the Skipjack class. Commissioned in 1959, the Skipjack introduced a teardrop-shaped hull and other design advances that influenced later attack submarines. The name has since been used for other ships as well, continuing the tradition of naval vessels bearing the title.

In cryptography, Skipjack refers to an 80-bit block cipher designed by the U.S. National Security Agency and used in the Clipper chip framework in the 1990s. It was proposed for government and escrow-enabled encryption, and its use became a focal point in public debates over encryption and privacy.