Mackerel

Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of fish, mostly, but not exclusively, from the family Scombridae. They may be found in all tropical and temperate seas. Most live offshore in the oceanic environment but a few, like the Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus), enter bays and can be caught near bridges and piers. Common features of mackerels are a slim, cylindrical shape (as opposed to the tunas which are deeper bodied) and numerous finlets on the dorsal and ventral sides behind the dorsal and anal fins. The scales are extremely small, if present. The largest species called "mackerel" is the king mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla) which can grow to 66 inches (1.68 m). A female mackerel lays about 1,000,000 eggs at a time.

Shearwater, tuna, dolphins, whales, orca, seagulls, marlins, sharks, and humans may hunt mackerels. Mackerels are prized (and are highly harvested) for their meat, which is often very oily. They are known for their fighting ability, and are an important recreational and commercial fishery. The meat can spoil quickly, especially in the tropics, causing scombroid food poisoning - it must be eaten on the day of capture, unless cured. For this reason, mackerel is the only common salt-cured sushi. Mackerel fishery is well established in India, the species caught is usually Rastrelliger kanagurta.

Family Scombridae Atlantic mackerel Scomber scombrus
Atlantic chub mackerel, Scomber colias
Atlantic Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus maculatus
Blue mackerel Scomber australasicus
Broadbarred king mackerel Scomberomorus semifasciatus
Chub mackerel Scomber japonicus
Australian spotted mackerel Scomberomorus munroi
Double-lined mackerel Grammatorcynus bilineatus
Happened mackerel Happundreus maculatus
Indian mackerel Rastrelliger kanagurta
Indo-Pacific king mackerel Scomberomorus guttatus
Indo-Pacific mackerel Rastrelliger neglectus
Short(-bodied) mackerel Rastrelliger brachysoma
Island mackerel Rastrelliger faughni
Japanese Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus niphonius
King mackerel Scomberomorus cavalla
Streaked Spanish mackerel Scomberomorus lineolatus

Family...... Carangidae Atlantic horse mackerel Trachurus trachurus
Blue jack mackerel Trachurus picturatus
Cape horse mackerel Trachurus capensis
Cunene horse mackerel Trachurus trecae
Greenback horse mackerel Trachurus declivis
Japanese horse mackerel Trachurus japonicus
Mediterranean horse mackerel Trachurus mediterraneus
Pacific jack mackerel Trachurus symmetricus

Family Hexagrammidae Lingcod Ophiodon elongatus
Painted greenling, Oxylebius pictus
Arabesque greenling Pleurogrammus azonus
Atka mackerel Pleurogrammus monopterygius

Family Gempylidae Black snake mackerel Nealotus tripes
Blacksail snake mackerel Thyrsitoides marleyi
Snake mackerel Gempylus serpens
Violet snake mackerel Nesiarchus nasutus
White snake mackerel Thyrsitops lepidopoides

Use as an adjective

"Mackerel" is also used as an adjective in the vernacular names of other animals or breeds thereof, often used to indicate types with a mackerel-like pattern of vertical stripes:

Mackerel icefish - Champsocephalus gunnari
Mackerel pike - Cololabis saira
Mackerel scad - Decapterus macarellus
Mackerel shark - several species
Sharp-nose mackerel shark - Isurus oxyrinchus
Mackerel trevalla - Seriolella punctata
Mackerel tuna - Euthynnus affinis
Mackerel tabby cat - Felis silvestris catus
Mackerel Tail Goldfish - Carassius auratus

Translation of "Mackerel"

German: Makrele, Spanish: Verdel, French: Maquereau, Ido: Makrelo, Italian: Sgombro, Lithuanian: Skumbrė, Dutch: Makreel (dier), Japanese: サバ, Norwegian (Bokmål): Makrell, Malayalam: അയല, Polish: Makrela, Portuguese: Carapau, Russian: Скумбрия, Finnish: Makrilli, Swedish: Makrill, Thai: ปลาแมกเคอเรล, Vietnamese: Cá thu, Turkish: Uskumru, Chinese: 鯖魚.