Details
Scomber scombrus
The Atlantic mackerel is a fast schooling fish of Atlantic coasts and open water. Its striped back and spindle-shaped body suit seasonal movements after food.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It lives in surface waters from coasts to open sea in the Atlantic. Schools shift widely with temperature and prey.
Length 30-45 cm; weight 300 g-700 g. A blue-green back carries wavy dark bars, while the belly is silvery. A narrow tail base and forked tail support continuous fast swimming.
Diurnal and loosely gregarious, it travels in large schools. The school tracks dense layers of plankton and small fish while reducing individual risk.
A carnivore, it eats zooplankton, small fishes, and fish eggs. It can filter tiny prey while swimming with the mouth open.
Adults broadcast many buoyant eggs into the sea in spring and summer. Larvae grow near the surface before joining migratory schools.
It is listed as Least Concern, though local populations can still be affected by habitat change, collection, or pollution.
