King mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla)

Scientific name: Scomberomorus cavalla Cuvier, 1829

King mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla)

The King mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla) is a marine fish of the family Scombridae. Native range: Western Atlantic, Canada to Massachusetts, USA to S?o Paulo, Brazil. Eastern Central Atlantic: St. Paul's Rocks.

Biology

Often found in outer reef areas. Larvae are encountered in surface waters of 26.3? to 31?C and 26.9 to 35 ppt. Feeds primarily on fishes with smaller quantities of penaeid shrimps and squids. Large schools have been found to migrate over considerable distances along the Atlantic US coast, water temperature permitting. It is an important species for recreational, commercial, and artisanal fisheries throughout its range. Most of the catch is processed into steaks or sold fresh, or sometimes canned and salted. Also prepared smoked and frozen. Potentially ciguatoxic in certain areas. Sometimes called "Kingfish".

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Scomberomorus cavalla
Family
Scombridae (Mackerels, tunas, bonitos)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
184
Common length
70.0
Depth range
5–140 m (16–459 ft)
Environment
Marine; reef-associated; oceanodromous; depth range 5 - 140 m, usually 5 - 15 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Western Atlantic: Canada to Massachusetts, USA to S?o Paulo, Brazil. Eastern Central Atlantic: St. Paul's Rocks.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Reports of ciguatera poisoning
Uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.07-0.15; tm=2; tmax=14; Fec=70,000)

Sources

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

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