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Atlantic Mackerel Scomber scombrus
The Atlantic mackerel is designed for fast swimming. It has a torpedo-shaped, streamlined body, small dorsal fins, close-fitting gill covers, and small, smooth scales. In the summer, large shoals feed close inshore, voraciously preying on small fish and straining plankton with their gills. From March to June, they lay their floating eggs in habitual spawning areas, the eggs hatching after a few days. In winter, the fish move into deeper water offshore and hardly feed. Several separate stocks exist within the north Atlantic, all of which are commercially exploited.
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- Order Perciformes
- Length Up to 24 in (60 cm)
- Weight Up to 7 lb (3.5 kg)
- Depth 0–650 ft (0–200 m)
- Distribution Temperate waters of north Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Black Sea
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