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
🍽️ Edibility & Flavour
⚡ 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
🏆 World Records
| Record Type | Value | Angler | Location | Date | Line Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1.81 kg | Robert Milkins | Fowey, UK | 09 Jul 2009 | All-Tackle |
Source: IGFA All-Tackle World Records database
🌐 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 |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) — 1,351 records indexed .
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