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Spanish mackerel have prominent yellow spots on the flanks at all sizes. In addition to such spots, Cero mackerel have one or more yellow stripes along the centerline. Young King mackerel have similar, but slightly smaller spots; these fade away on individuals weighing over 10 pounds (4.5 kg),
284:
gradually curving down from the upper end of the gill cover toward caudal peduncle. The first (spiny) dorsal fin is black at the front. Posterior membranes are white with a black edge. Its single row of cutting edged teeth in each jaw (around sixty-four teeth in all) are large, uniform, closely
464:
Spanish mackerel are managed in commercial and recreation fisheries with bag limits, size limits, commercial trip limits, and with only seasonal fishing allowed. The management of mackerel has been considered a success because the population used to be in decline, but is now on the rise without
355:(FL) of 14 inches (36 cm). Females live longer and grow to larger sizes than males. Females may live as long as 11 years, growing to 11 pounds (5.0 kg) and 33 inches (84 cm) FL. Males reach about age-6 and 19 inches (48 cm) FL.
604:
The first (spiny) dorsal on
Spanish and Cero mackerel has a prominent black patch. The King mackerel has none. As all three species normally keep the first dorsal folded back in a body groove, this difference is not immediately evident.
325:
It appears that one
Atlantic and one or more Gulf groups of Spanish mackerel occur in Florida waters. With rising water temperatures, the Atlantic group migrates along the Atlantic coast of the United States from
346:
The Gulf group of
Spanish mackerel spawn in batches from May to September off shore of Texas, off the Gulf shore of Florida as early as April in some years. The Atlantic group spawns starting in April off the
438:. Fast lure retrieves are key to catching these quick fish. Commercial methods are primarily run-around gill netting, and rarely, by trolling lures similar to those used by recreational anglers.
477:
Spanish mackerel are primarily marketed fresh or frozen as fillets as commercially caught fish are too small to sell in the form of steaks. Their raw flesh is white. They may be prepared by
612:
Worldwide, there are many members of this genus quite similar to one or another of these three species. In particular, off Mexico, Atlantic
Spanish mackerel may be confused with
601:
The lateral line on
Spanish and Cero mackerel slopes gradually from the top edge of the gill to the tail. In contrast that of the king mackerel takes an abrupt drop at mid-body.
330:, beginning in late February through July reaching as far as southern Cape Cod, Massachusetts, then returning in fall. An Eastern Gulf group moves northward from the
1535:
1587:
1703:
430:
Spanish mackerel are a highly valued fish throughout their range from North
Carolina to Texas. Recreational anglers catch Spanish mackerel from boats while
334:
during late winter and spring, appearing off the central West Coast of
Florida about April 1. Movement continues westward and terminates along the northern
317:. They are a shallow water species, preferring sand bottom in depths of 10 to 40 feet (3 to 12 m), occasionally found as deep as 80 feet (24 m).
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The fish exhibits a green back; its sides are silvery marked with about three rows of round to elliptical yellow spots.
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and from late August to late
September in the northernmost part of its range. Spanish mackerel mature by age-1 at a
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1085:
662:
Collette, B.; Boustany, A.; Carpenter, K.E.; Fox, W.; Graves, J.; Juan Jorda, M.; Nelson, R.; Oxenford, H. (2011).
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but they may still be seen as spots of slightly darker green on the upper back from some angles of view.
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On
November 4, 1987, Woody Outlaw caught a world-record 13 pound Spanish mackerel on a blue and white
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367:. As with other members of the genus, food consists mainly of small fishes with lesser quantities of
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50:
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or drifting and from boats, piers, jetties, and beaches by casting spoons and jigs and live-bait
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598:). All three are very similar in shape and coloration. They may be distinguished as follows:
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coast. During fall, this group migrates back to its wintering grounds in the Keys.
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407:. The percentage of anchovies consumed is higher for juveniles than for adults.
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301:. Spanish Mackerel can grow (rarely) to 36-37 inches and weigh up to 14 pounds.
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Commercial capture of
Atlantic mackerel in tonnes from 1950 to 2009
1005:
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414:
372:
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1397:
831:
515:
793:
Coastal Fishing in the Carolinas: From Surf, Pier, and Jetty
827:
762:"IGFA World Record; All Tackle Records; Mackerel, Spanish"
504:, which is a member of the same genus, it is often called
582:
Spanish mackerel are similar in appearance to small
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spaced and flattened from side to side. As with the
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293:, these teeth look very similar to those of the
687:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T170323A6748550.en
843:
8:
456:reel on a Kuna rod with 30-pound test line.
550:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
309:Spanish mackerel occur seasonally from the
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873:
850:
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796:. John F. Blair, Publisher. pp. 99–.
59:
40:
31:
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570:Learn how and when to remove this message
399:), are particularly important forage in
1373:Butterfly kingfish (butterfly mackerel)
713:Integrated Taxonomic Information System
654:
496:The Spanish mackerel is also a popular
790:Robert J. Goldstein (1 January 2000).
7:
548:adding citations to reliable sources
1704:IUCN Red List least concern species
770:International Game Fish Association
673:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
623:which may appear in the same area.
25:
1729:Fish of the Eastern United States
272:in the western Gulf in the fall.
1739:Taxa named by Samuel L. Mitchill
969:
962:
955:
520:
84:
264:in spring, returns to southern
1116:Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel
1:
1146:West African Spanish mackerel
1724:Fish of the Western Atlantic
1219:Mediterranean horse mackerel
268:in the eastern Gulf, and to
256:) is a migratory species of
1066:Australian spotted mackerel
260:that swims to the northern
1760:
1734:Fish of the Gulf of Mexico
1131:Queensland school mackerel
1111:Monterrey Spanish mackerel
1086:Indo-Pacific king mackerel
619:Scomberomorus brasiliensis
500:fish. By analogy with the
313:, Mexico, as far north as
35:Atlantic Spanish mackerel
1353:
1229:Yellowtail horse mackerel
1141:Streaked Spanish mackerel
1091:Japanese Spanish mackerel
1071:Broadbarred king mackerel
1061:Atlantic Spanish mackerel
953:
822:Atlantic Spanish mackerel
709:"Scomberomorus maculatus"
502:Japanese Spanish mackerel
449:on a 7/0 hook, held by a
445:with a strip of fastback
248:Atlantic Spanish mackerel
222:
215:
196:
189:
81:Scientific classification
79:
57:
48:
39:
34:
1345:Scombroid food poisoning
1277:Blacksail snake mackerel
1209:Greenback horse mackerel
736:; Pauly, Daniel (eds.).
426:Fishing gear and methods
1437:Scomberomorus_maculatus
1408:Scomberomorus maculatus
1383:Bonitos (tribe Sardini)
1184:Atlantic horse mackerel
750:. January 2006 version.
740:Scomberomorus maculatus
666:Scomberomorus maculatus
315:Cape Cod, Massachusetts
253:Scomberomorus maculatus
200:Scomberomorus maculatus
1744:Fish described in 1815
1378:Tunas (tribe Thunnini)
1214:Japanese jack mackerel
1136:Serra Spanish mackerel
982:(tribe Scomberomorini)
898:Atlantic chub mackerel
614:Serra Spanish mackerel
422:
403:, Florida, Texas, and
1653:Paleobiology Database
1315:Okhotsk atka mackerel
1287:Violet snake mackerel
1224:Pacific jack mackerel
1204:Cunene horse mackerel
1199:Chilean jack mackerel
1031:Double-lined mackerel
824:on Sealife Collection
680:: e.T170323A6748550.
595:Scomberomorus regalis
592:) and Cero mackerel (
589:Scomberomorus cavalla
418:
363:Spanish mackerel are
1363:Subfamily Scombrinae
1292:White snake mackerel
1272:Black snake mackerel
544:improve this section
395:and thread herring (
305:Distribution/habitat
1194:Cape horse mackerel
299:Pomatomus saltatrix
51:Conservation status
1189:Blue jack mackerel
766:IGFA World Records
423:
321:Migration patterns
1691:
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1640:Open Tree of Life
1400:Taxon identifiers
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1390:
1358:Family Scombridae
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980:Spanish mackerels
951:
950:
893:Atlantic mackerel
869:(tribe Scombrini)
803:978-0-89587-195-4
633:Atlantic mackerel
580:
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311:Yucatán peninsula
244:
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226:Scomber maculatus
182:S. maculatus
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16:(Redirected from
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637:Scomber scombrus
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508:on sushi menus.
237:(Mitchill, 1815)
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234:Cybium maculatum
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1259:Snake mackerels
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1126:Papuan seerfish
1106:Korean mackerel
1096:Kanadi kingfish
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938:Indian mackerel
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512:Similar species
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1171:Jack mackerels
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1017:Grammatorcynus
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867:True mackerels
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815:External links
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734:Froese, Rainer
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1076:Cero mackerel
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1047:Scomberomorus
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191:Binomial name
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169:Scomberomorus
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66:Least Concern
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1239:Arabian scad
1234:African scad
1175:(15 species)
1160:Non-Scombrid
1060:
1052:(18 species)
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919:Rastrelliger
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542:Please help
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454:bait-casting
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342:Life history
332:Florida Keys
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282:Lateral line
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1575:NatureServe
1523:iNaturalist
1306:(2 species)
1263:(5 species)
1244:Crozet scad
1022:(2 species)
997:(1 species)
924:(3 species)
884:(4 species)
693:19 November
469:occurring.
467:overfishing
397:Opisthonema
381:Engraulidae
353:fork length
276:Description
1698:Categories
1249:Rough scad
820:Photos of
649:References
560:March 2024
460:Management
375:. Striped
365:carnivores
148:Scombridae
1719:Game fish
1162:mackerels
531:does not
443:Sea Witch
411:Fisheries
385:clupeoids
377:anchovies
349:Carolinas
176:Species:
104:Kingdom:
98:Eukaryota
1580:2.106144
1541:10853447
1497:FishBase
1417:Wikidata
859:Mackerel
747:FishBase
718:18 April
627:See also
479:broiling
447:menhaden
432:trolling
405:Veracruz
393:alewives
389:menhaden
387:such as
295:Bluefish
289:and the
258:mackerel
217:Synonyms
208:Mitchill
144:Family:
118:Chordata
114:Phylum:
108:Animalia
94:Domain:
71:IUCN 3.1
1668:2292135
1515:2374268
1476:2804347
1423:Q311047
1333:Related
879:Scomber
552:removed
537:sources
491:smoking
473:As food
451:Shimano
436:fishing
266:Florida
210:, 1815)
164:Genus:
154:Tribe:
134:Order:
124:Class:
69: (
1681:159342
1665:uBio:
1658:352556
1645:266387
1632:159342
1619:598571
1567:170323
1554:172436
1528:179471
1489:131683
800:
775:18 May
506:sawara
487:baking
483:frying
383:) and
369:shrimp
270:Mexico
1676:WoRMS
1593:99344
1536:IRMNG
1484:EUNIS
1463:4VTXG
1450:71690
1006:Wahoo
498:sushi
373:squid
336:Texas
1627:OBIS
1601:NOAA
1588:NCBI
1562:IUCN
1549:ITIS
1510:GBIF
1445:BOLD
798:ISBN
777:2016
720:2006
695:2021
678:2011
535:any
533:cite
371:and
246:The
1502:126
1471:EoL
1458:CoL
1432:ADW
682:doi
546:by
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