Greenback horse mackerel (Trachurus declivis)

Scientific name: Trachurus declivis Jenyns, 1841

The Greenback horse mackerel (Trachurus declivis) is a brackish-water fish of the family Carangidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 16°C (61°F).

Greenback horse mackerel care at a glance

Temperature: 16°C (61°F)

Biology

Commonly found near the bottom, in midwater and occasionally at the surface in continental shelf waters. They form pelagic schools for most of the year but may move close to the sea bed during winter. Generally found at less than 300 m water depth with temperature less than 16? C. Juveniles inhabit coastal and estuarine waters although they may sometimes be found offshore. Feed mostly during the day mainly on krill and other planktonic crustaceans, light fish (Sternoptychidae) and lantern fish (Myctophidae) at the edge of the continental shelf.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Trachurus declivis
Family: Carangidae (Jacks and pompanos)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 64.0
Common length: 42.0
Depth range: 27–460 m (89–1509 ft)
Environment: Marine; brackish; benthopelagic; depth range 27 - 460 m, usually ? - 300 m
Climate: Temperate
Distribution: Southwest Pacific: Western Australia to New South Wales, including New Zealand. Principal component analysis of morphometric and meristic characters indicates three separate subpopulations in the Great Australian Bight, off New South Wales, and off Tasmania.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish: yes; bait: usually
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=2-4; tmax=25)

Sources

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

Last updated 27 September 2026