Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson)

Scientific name: Scomberomorus commerson Lacep?de, 1800

The Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) is a marine fish of the family Scombridae.

Biology

Distributed from near edge of continental shelf to shallow coastal waters, often of low salinity and high turbidity. Also found in drop-offs, and shallow or gently sloping reef and lagoon waters. Usually hunts solitary and often swim in shallow water along coastal slopes. Known to undertake lengthy long-shore migrations, but permanent resident populations also seem to exist. Found in small schools. Feed primarily on small fishes like anchovies, clupeids, carangids, also squids and penaeoid shrimps. Eggs and larvae are pelagic. A lipid-soluble toxin, similar to ciguatoxin has been found in the flesh of specimens caught on the east coast of Queensland, Australia. Marketed fresh, dried-salted, frozen, smoked, and canned; commonly made into fish balls.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Scomberomorus commerson
Family: Scombridae (Mackerels, tunas, bonitos)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 240
Common length: 120
Depth range: 10–70 m (33–230 ft)
Environment: Marine; pelagic-neritic; oceanodromous; depth range 10 - 70 m
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea and South Africa to Southeast Asia, north to China and Japan and south to southeast Australia, and to Fiji. Immigrant to the eastern Mediterranean Sea by way of the Suez Canal. Southeast Atlantic: St. Helena.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Reports of ciguatera poisoning
Uses: Fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.12-0.21; tm=2-3; tmax=14; Fec=590,000)

Sources

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

Last updated 27 September 2026