Chub mackerel

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Chub mackerel
Temporal range: Pliocene - Recent
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Scomber japonicus.png
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Scombriformes
Family: Scombridae
Genus: Scomber
Species:
S. japonicus
Binomial name
Scomber japonicus
Houttuyn, 1782

The chub mackerel, Pacific mackerel, or Pacific chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) is a species of fish in the tuna and mackerel family, Scombridae. This species of mackerel closely resembles the Atlantic chub mackerel.

Contents

Characteristics

The chub mackerel has a well-developed swim bladder attached with the esophagus, which the "true mackerels" in the genus Scomber lack, and a characteristic color difference is seen between the chub and the Atlantic chub, the latter being silvery-sided below the midline, whereas the lower part of the sides of the chub (otherwise colored somewhat like the Atlantic) are mottled with small dusky blotches, and the chub has a larger eye than the Atlantic. Less obvious differences are that the dorsal fins are closer together in the chub and only 9 or 10 spines are in its first dorsal fin instead of 11 or more, which is the usual count in the Atlantic mackerel. In most species, the mackerel is known to travel in large schools. It is a smaller fish than its better-known relatives, growing to a length around 8 to 14 inches (20 to 36 cm).

Fossil of Scomber japonicus from Pliocene of Italy Scombridae - Scomber japonicus.JPG
Fossil of Scomber japonicus from Pliocene of Italy

Habits

Chub mackerel school like Atlantic mackerel, and their feeding habits are much the same, eating the same species of pelagic crustaceans and Sagittae. Specimens of Atlantic Mackerel taken at Woods Hole ate chiefly copepods, and to a lesser extent amphipods, salps, appendicularians, and young herring. Chub mackerel follow thrown bait as readily and bite quite as greedily as Atlantic mackerel do. Their breeding habits have not been studied.[ citation needed ]

Fossil record

Fossils of Scomber japonicus have been found in the Pliocene of Italy (age range: from 3 to 2.2 million years ago.). [2]

Distribution

Chub mackerel are widespread in the Indo-Pacific. They are absent from the Indian Ocean except for a small range in South Africa from KwaZulu-Natal to Western Cape. In the Atlantic, they are replaced by the closely related Atlantic chub mackerel. The chub mackerel is widely distributed, usually found in the northwestern, southeastern, and northeastern Pacific. In the eastern Pacific, it can be found from Southeast Alaska to central Mexico. Chub mackerel are generally found within 20 miles (37 km) off the coast in waters between 50 and 72 °F (10 to 22 °C). Young mackerel live around sandy beaches or kelp beds, while adults are found in deeper waters in shallow banks to 1000 feet (300 m) deep. Chub mackerel school with other pelagic species, such as other types of mackerels and sardines. In 2015, a new species of mackerels were found in the Indian Ocean classified as Scomber indicus. [3] [4]

Diet

As larvae, chub mackerel feed mainly on copepods and rotifers and sometimes even smaller larvae of their own kind. Chub mackerel larvae can consume up to 87% of their dry body weight a day. As juveniles, chub mackerel feed mainly on zooplankton. As adults, they feed on mysids and euphausids. [5]

Spawning and maturation

Spawning between chub mackerel typically occurs at temperatures of 59 to 68 °F. This in turn, leads to different mating seasons depending on what part of the hemisphere they are located. Females lay about 100,000 to 400,000 eggs during breeding season. The mackerel is constantly competing with other fish for food. Although maturation of chub mackerel has never been thoroughly documented, data show that spawning can happen from March through October, but mostly happens from April through August. Sometimes in females, ripe translucent eggs appear simultaneously with unripe ova in early stages of development; this is also seen with the Atlantic mackerel. [6]

Defense mechanisms

The chub mackerel relies on camouflaging itself to stay hidden from its predators. It has a dorsal pattern very similar to the light pattern of the waves and sun. When in danger, the fish move close to the surface of the water to merge with the flickering light of the sun making them difficult to see from above, which protects them from predatory birds. The countershading on their ventral surfaces likewise makes it difficult for larger predatory fish like tuna and barracuda to pick them out from the background. [7]

Fisheries

Capture of chub mackerel in tonnes from 1950 to 2009 Fisheries capture of Scomber japonicus.png
Capture of chub mackerel in tonnes from 1950 to 2009

Known to fisherman as the hardhead, the chub mackerel is regularly fished and canned for human consumption, pet food, bait, or served fresh. From 1980 to 1989, the recreational catch average in California was 1,462 tons. Since they have begun being fished, the chub mackerel reached its catching peak in 1978 with 3,412,602 tons. Since 1978, the catch ratings have continued to decrease, but picked back up a little in 1995. The ideal method for catching chub mackerel is round-haul gear such as purse seines. Bycatch is low because nets are placed directly on schools of fish. Chub mackerel are caught all year round, but especially between June and November. They can be caught on both sides of North America, but the most important fisheries commercially are in California and Mexico. [8]

As food

According to nutrition specialists, the chub mackerel is a healthy meal, high in protein and rich in omega-3 and unsaturated fatty acids. Due to its high energy and protein intake, and low carbohydrate value, it is recommended in the diets of growing children and pregnant women, although it may contain high levels of heavy metals. [9] The chub mackerel is a popular dish in Sicilian cuisine, in which it is served in a variety of ways. In the Sicilian culture, the chub mackerel is called a variety of names, strummu ucchiutu, varatulu scrummu, or occhiutu. In the kitchen and market, the fish is in the best condition if the meat is firm and the eyes are clear with the colors bright. For the most part, it is eaten fresh, but can be seen pickled or frozen. In Sicilian cuisine, it is also served filleted and raw, marinated in oil, lemon, salt, and pepper. [10] Jorim is a Korean dish made with tofu, vegetables, meat and seafood. Mackerel is also one of the most popular foods for Koreans as jorim.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

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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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herring</span> Forage fish, mostly belonging to the family Clupeidae

Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae.

Cavalla may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albacore</span> Species of tuna

The albacore, known also as the longfin tuna, is a species of tuna of the order Scombriformes. It is found in temperate and tropical waters across the globe in the epipelagic and mesopelagic zones. There are six distinct stocks known globally in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. The albacore has an elongate, fusiform body with a conical snout, large eyes, and remarkably long pectoral fins. Its body is a deep blue dorsally and shades of silvery white ventrally. Individuals can reach up to 1.4 m in length.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic mackerel</span> Species of fish

The Atlantic mackerel, also known as Boston mackerel, Norwegian mackerel, Scottish mackerel or just mackerel, is a species of mackerel found in the temperate waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, and the northern Atlantic Ocean, where it is extremely common and occurs in huge shoals in the epipelagic zone down to about 200 m (660 ft). It spends the warmer months close to shore and near the ocean surface, appearing along the coast in spring and departing with the arrival of colder weather in the fall and winter months. During the fall and winter, it migrates out into deeper and more southern water, seeking warmer temperatures.

The Pacific saury is species of fish in the family Scomberesocidae. Saury is a seafood in several East Asian cuisines and is also known by the name mackerel pike.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Double-lined mackerel</span> Species of fish

The double-lined mackerel, is a species of Spanish mackerel in the family Scombridae. This species is sometimes also called the scad mackerel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic horse mackerel</span> Species of fish

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indo-Pacific sailfish</span> Species of fish

The Indo-Pacific sailfish is a sailfish native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans and is naturalized in the Atlantic where it has entered the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal as a Lessepsian migrant. It is dark blue on top, brown-blue laterally, silvery white underbelly; upper jaw elongated in the form of a spear; first dorsal fin greatly enlarged in the form of a sail, with many black cones, its front squared off, highest at its midpoint; pelvic fins very narrow, reaching almost to the anus; body covered with embedded scales, blunt at end; lateral line curved above pectoral fin, then straight to base of tail. They have a large and sharp bill, which they use for hunting. They feed on tuna and mackerel, some of the fastest fish in the Ocean. Most authorities only recognise a single species of sailfish, I. platypterus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue mackerel</span> Species of fish

The blue mackerel, also called Japanese mackerel, Pacific mackerel, slimy mackerel or spotted chub mackerel, is a fish of the family Scombridae. It typically reaches 30 cm (12 in) in length and 1.4 kg (3.1 lb) in weight.

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King-of-the-salmon, Trachipterus altivelis, is a species of ribbonfish in the family Trachipteridae. Its common name comes from the legends of the Makah people west of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which hold that this fish leads the salmon annually to their spawning grounds. Catching or eating king-of-the-salmon was forbidden, as it was feared killing one would stop the salmon run. This myth is reflected by a former specific epithet used for this fish, rex-salmonorum, rex being Latin for "king". The king-of-the-salmon is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Chile. It is usually found in the open ocean to a depth of 900 meters, though adults sometimes feed on the sea bottom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blotchy swellshark</span> Species of shark

The blotchy swellshark, or Japanese swellshark, is a common species of catshark, belonging to the family Scyliorhinidae. The Blotchy swellshark is found at depths of 90–200 m (300–660 ft) in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, from Japan to Taiwan. It is benthic in nature and favors rocky reefs. Reaching 1.4 m (4.6 ft) in length, this thick-bodied shark has a broad head, large mouth, and two unequally-sized dorsal fins positioned far back past the pelvic fins. It can be identified by its dorsal coloration, consisting of seven brown "saddles" and extensive darker mottling on a light tan background. This species has often been confounded with the draughtsboard shark and the Sarawak pygmy swellshark in scientific literature.

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<i>Scomber</i> Genus of fishes

Scomber is a genus of fish in the family Scombridae living in the open ocean found in Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean. The genus Scomber and the genus Rastrelliger comprise the tribe Scombrini, known as the "true mackerels". These fishes have an elongated body, highly streamlined, muscular and agile. The eyes are large, the head is elongated, with a big mouth provided with teeth. They have two dorsal triangular fins, with some stabilizing fins along the caudal peduncle. The basic color is blue-green with a silvery white belly and a darker back, usually black mottled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic chub mackerel</span> Species of fish

Atlantic chub mackerel, also known as Tinker mackerel, is a pelagic schooling species of mackerel found in the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea. It was originally thought to be a subspecies of the chub mackerel Scomber japonicus colias.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scombrini</span> Tribe of fishes

Scombrini, commonly called the true mackerels, is a tribe of ray-finned bony fishes in the mackerel family, Scombridae – a family it shares with the Spanish mackerel, tuna and bonito tribes, plus the butterfly kingfish.

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References

  1. Collette, B.; Acero, A.; Canales Ramirez, C.; et al. (2011). "Scomber japonicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2011: e.T170306A6737373. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-2.RLTS.T170306A6737373.en . Retrieved 1 December 2022.
  2. "Fossilworks: Scomber". fossilworks.org.
  3. "New species of mackerel identified off Kerala coast". The New Indian Express.
  4. Kumar, V. Sajeev (5 October 2016). "CMFRI identifies new species of mackerel in Kerala waters". @businessline.
  5. Diet of Larvae(n.d.). ulpgc.es. Retrieved April 21, 2013, from acceda.ulpgc.es/bitstream/10553/327/1/551.pdf
  6. "maturation and growth of pacific mackerel." aquaticcommons.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2013. <http://aquaticcommons.org/660/1/Technical%5B%5D
  7. (n.d.). ulpgc.es. Retrieved April 21, 2013, from https://acceda.ulpgc.es/bitstream/10553/327/1/551.pdf
  8. (n.d.). NOAA - FishWatch: Pacific Mackerel. NOAA - FishWatch. Retrieved April 24, 2013, from http://www.fishwatch.gov/seafood_profiles/species
  9. Venta de Estornino Congelado. Scomber Japonicus - Vixa. (n.d.). Venta de Caballa, Sardina, Jurel, Estornino al mayor | VIXA - Vixa. Retrieved April 28, 2013, from http://www.vixa.es/en/frozen-fish/chub-mackerel
  10. Chub mackerel | FEP." Sicilian Castro Hernández, J.J.; Santana Ortega, A.T. Fish on the Road - Regione Siciliana. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2013.<http://www.sicilianfishontheroad.com/en/il-pescato-siciliano/il-pesce-azzurro/lanzardo Archived 2013-03-13 at the Wayback Machine >.

Further references