Broad-barred king mackerel (Scomberomorus semifasciatus)

Scientific name: Scomberomorus semifasciatus Macleay, 1883

Broad-barred king mackerel (Scomberomorus semifasciatus)

The Broad-barred king mackerel (Scomberomorus semifasciatus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Scombridae.

Biology

Found more commonly around coastal headlands and rocky reefs but are also caught offshore. Juveniles (4.5 to 10 cm length) are commonly encountered during November along the beaches of Townsville, Queensland and grow to twice this size by January. They are pelagic predators, feeding exclusively on baitfish (sardines and herrings. Caught also with set lines aside from trolling with small lures or cut bait. Marketed fresh and frozen; eaten fried, broiled and baked.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Scomberomorus semifasciatus
Family
Scombridae (Mackerels, tunas, bonitos)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
120
Depth range
100 m (328 ft)
Environment
Marine; brackish; pelagic-neritic; oceanodromous; depth range ? - 100 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Western Pacific: southern Papua New Guinea and northern Australia, from Shark Bay, Western Australia to northern New South Wales. Reports of this species from Thailand and Malaysia are based on misidentifications.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Reports of ciguatera poisoning
Uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes; bait: occasionally
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.6; tm=1-2; tmax=12)

Sources

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

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