Details
Trachurus trachurus
A schooling jack of the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, swimming in midwater from coasts to offshore waters.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Occurs in the northeastern Atlantic, Mediterranean, and nearby seas, shifting with temperature and prey availability.
The body is slender and silvery with a blue-green back. Hard scutes line the rear lateral line, and a dark spot sits near the pectoral fin.
Large schools move through midwater and often feed at night or twilight. Young fish may gather near floating objects or jellyfish.
It eats zooplankton, small fish, squid, and small crustaceans, becoming more fish-eating as it grows.
Adults broadcast eggs in warmer seasons. Larvae grow near the surface before joining coastal schools.
The species is an important food fish in Europe and North Africa, with catches that vary strongly by year.
