Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Scombriformes |
Family: | Scombridae |
Genus: | Scomberomorus |
Species: | S. commerson |
Binomial name | |
Scomberomorus commerson (Lacépède, 1800) | |
Synonyms | |
|
The narrow-barred Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) is a mackerel of the family Scombridae found in a wide-ranging area in Southeast Asia, but as far west as the east coast of Africa and from the Middle East and along the northern coastal areas of the Indian Ocean, and as far east as the South West Pacific Ocean. [3]
They are vivid blue to dark grey in colour along their backs and flanks and fade to a silvery blue-grey on the belly. Spanish mackerel have scores of narrow, vertical lines down their sides. Spanish mackerel grow to about 200 cm and up to 70 kg. [3] They are the largest of all Australian mackerels.[ citation needed ]
Scomberomorus commerson is found in a wide area centering in Southeast Asia, but as far west as the east coast of Africa and from the Persian Gulf and along the northern coastal areas of the Indian Ocean, and as far east as Fiji in the South West Pacific ocean. The species is common down both sides of Australia as far south as Perth on the west coast and Sydney on the east coast. It is also found as far north as China and even Japan. [3] [4] Recorded first in the Mediterranean Sea in 1935 off Mandatory Palestine, it is now very common in the eastern Levant where it has become an important target species for local fisheries. [5]
Spanish mackerel spawn in oceanic conditions on reef edges. Eggs have a large oil droplet that aids in buoyancy and keeps them at the top of the water column which is warmer, well oxygenated, and has an abundant planktonic food supply for the larvae once they are hatched. When in the larval stage, Spanish mackerel are believed to stay in their own species-specific groups and are not normally found with other species of the same genus, such as S. semifasciatus and S. queenslandicus. This is not always the case with adult mackerel, where occasional mixing of different species within the same genus can occur.
Spawning is seasonal, but it is protracted in the warmer waters of the tropics. Many of the fisheries that target this species are based on prespawning feeding aggregations. A significant proportion of the female fish caught in Northern Territory waters between July and December have either recently spawned or are close to spawning. [6] In general, spawning times for Spanish mackerel tend to be associated with higher water temperatures that promote optimal food availability for the rapid growth and development of the larvae. [7]
As the young larvae grow, they move from the offshore spawning grounds to inshore and estuarine habitats, where they are frequently found in the juvenile phase of their growth cycle. In the inshore environments, they feed mostly on the larvae and juveniles of small fish and crustaceans until they become large enough to eat small fish and squid. [8] Australian studies of this species suggest females are larger than males. [9] [10] [11] Female Spanish mackerel mature at about two years of age or around 80 cm in length. [12]
Spanish mackerel are voracious, opportunistic carnivores. As with other members of the genus, food consists mainly of small fishes with lesser quantities of shrimp and squid. [13]
Spanish mackerel are highly valued fish throughout their range in the Indo-West Pacific. Recreational anglers catch them from boats while trolling or drifting and from boats, piers, jetties, and beaches by casting spoons and jigs, and live-bait fishing. Commercial methods are primarily run-around gillnetting, and rarely, by trolling lures similar to those used by recreational anglers. [3]
As of July 2023, the Government of Queensland, Australia, cut the commercial catch limit from 578 tonnes (569 long tons; 637 short tons) to 165 tonnes (162 long tons; 182 short tons), a reduction to 27.5% of the earlier limit. The split was: 60% commercial; 40% recreational (1/person) but also includes charter boat fishing; Indigenous 2 tonnes/year limit across all allocations. This is intended to revitalise of the biomass over time. [15]
In Penghu, Taiwan the narrow-barred Spanish mackerel is highly valued and referred to as "white gold." [16] In 2022 an exceptional 34 kilo fish was sold for more than $3,000. [17] In Tainan it is used to make the dish tutuo yugeng (土魠魚羹, Spanish Mackerel thick soup). [16]
In 2023 the Taiwanese Fisheries Research Institute succeeded in artificially breeding narrow-barred Spanish mackerel. [18]
As with most fish, the narrow-barred Spanish mackerel is infected by a variety of parasites. Spectacular parasites are the cysts of the larvae of the trypanorhynch cestode Callitetrarhynchus gracilis, often found in great numbers in the body cavity. [19]
Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of pelagic fish, mostly from the family Scombridae. They are found in both temperate and tropical seas, mostly living along the coast or offshore in the oceanic environment.
The bluefish is the only extant species of the family Pomatomidae. It is a marine pelagic fish found around the world in temperate and subtropical waters, except for the northern Pacific Ocean. Bluefish are known as tailor in Australia and New Zealand, elf and shad in South Africa. It is a popular gamefish and food fish.
The milkfish is a widespread species of ray-finned fish found throughout the Indo-Pacific. It is the sole living species in the family Chanidae, and the only living member of the genus Chanos. The repeating scientific name (tautonym) is from Greek khanos. They are grouped in the order Gonorhynchiformes and are most closely related to the Ostariophysi—freshwater fishes such as carps, catfish, and loaches.
The masu salmon, also known as masu or cherry trout in Japan, is a species of salmonid belonging to the genus Oncorhynchus, found in the North Pacific along Northeast/East Asian coasts from the Russian Far East to south through Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Although generally accepted as a salmon in the West, the fish is actually regarded as a trout in Japan as it is the most commonly seen freshwater salmonid in the Japanese archipelago.
The king mackerelsurmayi or kingfish, is a migratory species of mackerel of the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. It is an important species to both the commercial and recreational fishing industries.
Philibert Commerson, sometimes spelled Commerçon by contemporaries, was a French naturalist, best known for accompanying Louis Antoine de Bougainville on his voyage of circumnavigation in 1766–1769. The standard author abbreviation Comm. is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.
The Atlantic Spanish mackerel is a migratory species of mackerel that swims to the northern Gulf of Mexico in spring, returns to southern Florida in the eastern Gulf, and to Mexico in the western Gulf in the fall.
Indo-Pacific king mackerel, also known as the spotted seer fish or spotted Spanish mackerel, is a sea fish among the mackerel variety of fishes. It is found in around the Indian Ocean and adjoining seas. It is a popular game fish, growing up to 45 kg (99 lb), and is a strong fighter that has on occasion been seen to leap out of the water when hooked.
The streaked Spanish mackerel is found mainly in and around India, especially along the Maharashtra and Gujarat coasts. The peak season for fishing this fish is from October to December. It is also known by other names, such as streaked seer, hazard (French), sawara, and carite (Spanish). It is found off Asian coasts from the west coast of India and Sri Lanka east to Java and does not extend east of Wallace's Line. It is an important quarry species for fisheries where it occurs.
The Atlantic horse mackerel, also known as the European horse mackerel or common scad, is a species of jack mackerel in the family Carangidae, which includes the jacks, pompanos and trevallies. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean off Europe and Africa and into the south-eastern Indian Ocean. It is an important species in commercial fisheries and is listed as a Vulnerable species on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Trypanorhyncha is an order of cestodes, a type of flatworm.
Scomberomorus is a genus of ray-finned bony fish in the mackerel family, Scombridae. More specifically, it is a member of the tribe Scomberomorini, commonly known as the Spanish mackerels.
Scomberomorini is a tribe of ray-finned saltwater bony fishes that is commonly known as the Spanish mackerels, seerfishes or seer fish. This tribe is a subset of the mackerel family (Scombridae) – a family that it shares with three sister tribes, the tunas, mackerels, and bonitos, and the butterfly kingfish. Scomberomorini comprises 21 species across three genera. They are pelagic fish, fast swimmers and predatory in nature, that fight vigorously when caught. They are mainly caught using hooks and lines.
The Monterrey Spanish mackerel is a species of fish in the family Scombridae. It is endemic to Mexico where it is found in the northern part of the Gulf of California. It is the subject of a fishery, its population is declining and the IUCN has rated it as being a "vulnerable species"
The Indian mackerel or bigmouth mackerel is a species of mackerel in the family Scombridae. It is commonly found in the Indian and West Pacific oceans, and their surrounding seas. It is an important food fish and is commonly used in South and South-East Asian cuisine.
The Chilean jack mackerel, sometimes called the Jurel, Inca scad or Peruvian jack mackerel, is a species of jack mackerel in the genus Trachurus of the family Carangidae. Since the 1970s, it has become one of the world's more important commercial fish species. High volumes have been harvested, but the fishery may now be in danger of collapsing.
The Japanese Spanish mackerel, also known as the Japanese seer fish, is a species of true mackerel in the scombrid family (Scombridae). Their maximum reported length is 100 cm, and the maximum reported weight is 10.57 kg.
The Japanese jack mackerel, also known as the Japanese horse mackerel or Japanese scad, is a species named after its resemblance to mackerel but which is in the family Carangidae, the jacks, pompanos, trevallies and scads. Their maximum reported length is 50 cm (20 in) with a common length of 35 cm (14 in). They have a maximum reported weight of 0.66 kg (1.5 lb) and a maximum reported age of 12 years. They are found around the coast of Japan, except Okinawa Island, usually on sandy bottoms of 50–275 m (164–902 ft) deep. They feed mainly on small crustaceans such as copepods, as well as shrimp and small fish. They are similar to the yellowtail horse mackerel around New Zealand and Australia, apart from having more gill rakers and larger eyes.
The Korean mackerel also known as the Korean seerfish, is a ray-finned bony fish in the family Scombridae, better known as the mackerel family. Within that family, this fish is a member of the tribe Scomberomorini, the Spanish mackerels. It has an Indo-Pacific distribution which extends from the east coast of India and Sri Lanka along the Asian continental shelf to Sumatra, then north to Korea and Wakasa Bay in the Sea of Japan. This species is of minor commercial importance in some parts of its range, where it is caught using gill nets and is marketed either fresh or dried-salted. The Korean mackerel is an important quarry species for the drift net fishery in Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar in India.
Caligus infestans is a species of sea louse in the family, Caligidae, first described by Camill Heller in 1865.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)