Skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, is the species with the largest catches in the Eastern Pacific and on which the Ecuadorian fish processing industry depends to a large extent. Therefore, it is significant to analyze the spatial and temporal variation of skipjack tuna in the fishing zone with the purpose to optimize its exploitation. The information on sets made and their outcome came from observers on board of a group of vessels from the Ecuadorian purse-seine fleet that operated in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) during 2019-2021. The catches of the group of vessels evaluated varied between 390 t in 2019 and 801 t in 2020, and were made within a SST interval between 23°C and 31°C, being more frequent those made in waters with 26°C. The highest catch per unit of effort (CPUE) was observed in 2020 with 7.9 t/haul and the lowest in 2019 reaching 4.33 t/haul. Most of the catches occurred beyond 200 nautical miles. No concentration of resource abundance was observed in particular areas as the species does not appear to be concentrated in thermally defined areas, since abundance fluctuated widely with temperature. It is concluded that K. pelamis did not show a defined spatial distribution pattern during the evaluated period. Keywords: catch per unit effort, sea surface temperature, variability, space distribution, tuna.El atún barrilete, Katsuwonus pelamis, es la especie con las mayores capturas en el Pacífico Oriental y de la cual depende en gran medida la industria ecuatoriana procesadora de productos pesqueros. Por tanto, resulta significativo analizar la variación espacial y temporal del atún barrilete en la zona de pesca con miras a optimizar su explotación. La información sobre lances efectuados y su resultado provino de observadores a bordo de un grupo de embarcaciones de la flota pesquera ecuatoriana que operó en el Océano Pacífico Oriental (OPO) durante 2019-2021. Las capturas del grupo de embarcaciones evaluados varió entre 390 t en 2019 y 801 t en 2020, y se realizaron dentro de un intervalo de TSM entre 23°C a 31°C, siendo más frecuentes las efectuadas en aguas con 26°C. La mayor captura por unidad de esfuerzo (CPUE) se observó en 2020 con 7,9 t/lance y la menor en 2019 alcanzando 4,33 t/lance. La mayor parte de las capturas ocurrieron más allá de las 200 millas náuticas. No se observó una concentración de la abundancia del recurso en zonas particulares debido a que la especie no parece concentrarse en zonas térmicamente definidas, pues la abundancia fluctuó ampliamente con la temperatura. Se concluye que la abundancia de K. Pelamis no mostró un patrón de distribución espacial definido durante el período evaluado. Palabras clave: Captura por unidad de esfuerzo, temperatura superficial del mar, variabilidad, distribución espacial, túnidos. ABSTRACT Skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, is the species with the largest catches in the Eastern Pacific and on which the Ecuadorian fish processing industry depends to a large extent. Therefore, it is significant to analyze the spatial and temporal variation of skipjack tuna in the fishing zone with the purpose to optimize its exploitation. The information on sets made and their outcome came from observers on board of a group of vessels from the Ecuadorian purse-seine fleet that operated in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) during 2019-2021. The catches of the group of vessels evaluated varied between 390 t in 2019 and 801 t in 2020, and were made within a SST interval between 23°C and 31°C, being more frequent those made in waters with 26°C. The highest catch per unit of effort (CPUE) was observed in 2020 with 7.9 t/haul and the lowest in 2019 reaching 4.33 t/haul. Most of the catches occurred beyond 200 nautical miles. No concentration of resource abundance was observed in particular areas as the species does not appear to be concentrated in thermally defined areas, since abundance fluctuated widely with temperature. It is concluded that K. pelamis did not show a defined spatial distribution pattern during the evaluated period. Keywords: catch per unit effort, sea surface temperature, variability, space distribution, tuna. Fecha de recepción: 13 de abril de 2022; Fecha de aceptación: 17 de junio de 2022; Fecha de publicación: 11 de julio de 2022.