Blue mackerel (Scomber australasicus)

Scientific name: Scomber australasicus Cuvier, 1832

Blue mackerel (Scomber australasicus)

The Blue mackerel (Scomber australasicus) is a marine fish of the family Scombridae. Native range: Indo-West Pacific, Red Sea, Persian Gulf; from Japan, south to Australia and New Zealand. Eastern Pacific: Hawaii and off Mexico (Socorro Island).

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 10 - 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 12; Vertebrae: 31. No well developed corselet but body covered with rather small scales. Palatine narrow. Anal fin origin clearly more posterior than that of second dorsal fin. Anal fin spine independent from anal fin. Swim bladder present. Snout pointed. Interpelvic process small and single. Back with narrow oblique lines which zigzag and undulate; the belly is pearly white and marked with thin, wavy broken lines.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Scomber australasicus
Family
Scombridae (Mackerels, tunas, bonitos)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
44.0
Common length
30.0
Depth range
87–200 m (285–656 ft)
Environment
Marine; pelagic-neritic; oceanodromous; depth range 87 - 200 m
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea, Persian Gulf; from Japan, south to Australia and New Zealand. Eastern Pacific: Hawaii and off Mexico (Socorro Island).
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes; bait: usually
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.28)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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