Atlantic mackerel
📖 Overview
Abundant in cold and temperate shelf areas, forms large schools near the surface. They overwinter in deeper waters but move closer to shore in spring when water temperatures range between 11° and 14°C. Mainly diurnal, it feeds on zooplankton and small fish. Eggs and larvae are pelagic . Batch spawner . The species is traded fresh, frozen, smoked and canned. Eaten fried, broiled and baked . Two stocks in north-east Atlantic: North Sea (east) and British Isles (west). North Sea stock decreased dramatically in the 1960's because of direct overfishing. Recruitment has been poor and unstable. After spawning, the adult feed very actively moving around in small shoals .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 8 - 14; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11 - 13; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 12 - 13; Vertebrae: 31. This species has the following characters: no well developed corselet; interpelvic process small and single; anal fin spine conspicuous, joined to the fin by a membrane but clearly independent of it; anal fin origin opposite that of second dorsal fin; no swim bladder; first haemal spine anterior to first interneural process; 21-28 interneural bones under first dorsal fin; markings on back oblique to near vertical, with relatively little undulating; belly unmarked .: fusiform / normal; Cross section: oval.
🌀 Behaviour
Atlantic Mackerel form enormous mixed-age schools that undertake dramatic seasonal coastal migrations. They are voracious predators when prey is available, feeding in frenzied surface attacks. In winter, they overwinter in deeper offshore waters in a state of reduced activity.
🦐 Diet
Atlantic Mackerel feed primarily on small fish (especially herring larvae and sand eels), krill, copepods, and squid. They are important predators in the North Atlantic pelagic food web.
🥚 Reproduction
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; brackish; pelagic-neritic; oceanodromous ; depth range 0 - 1000 m , usually 0 - 200 m . Temperate; 77°N - 30°N, 77°W - 69°E North Atlantic: including the Mediterranean.
🌿 Ecology
zooplankton and small fish
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🎣 Angling Guide
- heavy 30-80 lb class trolling rod
- conventional reel
- 80-130 lb wind-on leader
- temperature breaks
- floating debris
- current edges
- offshore seamounts
Use barbless hooks, minimise air exposure, and revive fish head-first in current before release.
⚠️ International management (ICCAT, WCPFC). Strict quotas and size limits.
🍽️ Edibility & Flavour
"Atlantic mackerel is prized for its firm, flavourful flesh and outstanding eating quality."
- Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
- Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
- Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
- Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
- Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
- Cloudy or sunken eyes
- Strong fishy or ammonia odour
- Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
- Discoloured or dry flesh
⚡ Nutrition
Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 205 kcal |
| Protein | 20.5 g |
| Total Fat | 13.9 g |
| Omega-3 (total) | 761 mg |
| EPA | 898 mg |
| DHA | 1,401 mg |
🔬 Mercury Safety
🌿 Sustainability
🔬 Full Nutritional Profile
Per 100g - Raw, per 100g - Source: USDA FoodData Central templates (oily fish average)
📊 Population Dynamics
| Year | Region | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | Atlantic Mackerel · Atlantic mackerel, Mackerel · Joey · Mackeral · Mackerel · Split |
| 🇸🇦Arabic | الإسقمري · الإسقُمريّ المعروف · الطَرَاخور المعروف |
| 🌍BRE | Brezhel · breghel · brill |
| 🌍BUL | Скумрия · Черноморска скумрия |
| 🏳️Catalan | verat |
| 🌍CES | makrela obecná |
| 🌍CYM | Mecryll · macrell |
| 🇩🇰Danish | Almindelig makrel · Makrel |
| 🇩🇪German | Atlantische Makrele · Gemeine Makrele · Makrele |
| 🌍ELL | Σκουμπρί |
| 🌍EPO | Skombro |
| 🌍FAS | اسقمری اطلس |
| 🇫🇮Finnish | Makrilli · Pikkumakrilli |
| 🇫🇷French | Maquereau commun · maquereau · maquereau bleu |
| 🌍GLA | rionnach · rionnaich · ronnach an Atlantaigh |
| 🌍GLE | An ronnach · ronnach |
| 🌍GLG | Rincha · cabala · correolo · xarda |
| 🌍HAT | Makro |
| 🌍HEB | מקרל |
| 🇭🇺Hungarian | Közönséges makréla |
| 🌍IDO | Makrelo |
| 🌍IND | Makerel Atlantik |
| 🌍ISL | Makríll |
| 🇮🇹Italian | Lacerta · Lacerto · Macarello · Maccerello · Scombro · Sgombro · Sgombro comune · maccarello |
| 🇯🇵Japanese | サバ · タイセイヨウサバ |
| 🌍KAZ | Скумбрия |
| 🇰🇷Korean | 대서양고등어 |
| 🌍LIT | Atlantinė skumbrė |
| 🌍MAR | बांगडा |
| 🌍MLT | Kavall · Pizzintun · Zigromblu |
| 🇳🇱Dutch | Atlantische makreel · Gewone makreel · Makreel · Paapje |
| 🌍NNO | bolt · geir · kuvl · makrell · stokkål · pir · spir |
| 🌍NOB | makrell · pir · spir · bolt · geir · kuvl · stokkål |
| 🇳🇴Norwegian | Makrell · Pir |
| 🇵🇱Polish | Makrela · Makrela atlantycka |
| 🇵🇹Portuguese | Cavala-do-Atlântico · Cavalla · Sarda · cavala |
| 🌍RON | Macrou · Scrumbie albastra · scrumbie |
| 🇷🇺Russian | makrel · skumbriya · Атлантическая скумбрия · Скумбрия атлантическая |
| 🌍SLV | Skuša · navadna skuša |
| 🌍SME | makrealla |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | Caballa · Caballa del Atlántico · Verdel · Xarda · macarela azul |
| 🌍SQI | Skumbri · korbazi · shkombri · skusha |
| 🌍SRP | Skusa · Скуша |
| 🇸🇪Swedish | Makrill · Pir |
| 🌍THA | ปลาแมกเคอเรล |
| 🌍TUR | Uskumru |
| 🌍UKR | Скумбрія атлантична |
| 🌍VIE | Cá thu Đại Tây Dương |
| 🇨🇳Chinese | 大西洋鯖 · 鯖魚 |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scomber glauciscus | Pallas | 1814 | Synonym |
| Scomber punctatus | Couch | 1849 | Heterotypic |
| Scomber scomber | Linnaeus | 1758 | Synonym |
| Scomber scriptus | Couch | 1863 | Synonym |
| Scomber scrombrus | - | - | Synonym |
| Scomber vernalis | Mitchill | 1815 | Synonym |
| Scomber vulgaris | Wood | 1837 | Synonym |
📚 Scientific References
13 publications cited
- Froese, R. and Pauly, D. (Editors) (2024). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. FishBase Consortium. Link ↗
- IUCN (2024). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2024-1. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Link ↗
- GBIF Secretariat (2024). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. DOI ↗
- USDA Agricultural Research Service (2024). FoodData Central. USDA National Nutrient Database. United States Department of Agriculture. Link ↗
- FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department (2024). The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Link ↗
- Kaschner, K., Kesner-Reyes, K., Garilao, C., Segschneider, J., Rius-Barile, J., Rees, T., Froese, R. (2024). AquaMaps: Predicted range maps for aquatic species. AquaMaps. Link ↗
- Nelson, J.S., Grande, T.C., Wilson, M.V.H. (2016). Fishes of the World. 5th edition. John Wiley & Sons.
- Helfman, G.S., Collette, B.B., Facey, D.E., Bowen, B.W. (2009). The Diversity of Fishes: Biology, Evolution, and Ecology. 2nd edition. Wiley-Blackwell.
- Froese, R. (2006). Cube law, condition factor and weight-length relationships: history, meta-analysis and recommendations. Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 22(4), 241-253. DOI ↗
- Halstead, B.W., Auerbach, P.S., Campbell, D. (1988). A Colour Atlas of Dangerous Marine Animals. Wolfe Medical Publications. Wolfe Medical.
- Balon, E.K. (1975). Reproductive Guilds of Fishes: A Proposal and Definition. Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada, 32(6), 821-864.
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🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 1,351 records indexed .
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