Queensland school mackerel (Scomberomorus queenslandicus)

Scientific name: Scomberomorus queenslandicus Munro, 1943

The Queensland school mackerel (Scomberomorus queenslandicus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Scombridae.

Biology

Schooling species which moves into inshore waters, bays and estuaries of Queensland during the southern midwinter and early spring. Often inhabit very turbid coastal waters shallower than 30 m. Common length 50 to 80 cm FL. Seasonally migratory in the Gulf of Carpentaria and form mixed schools with S. commerson over shallow reefs offshore of Queensland. Trolling lines with lures such as metal spoons and cut bait are used by recreational and commercial fishermen. Mostly marketed fresh.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Scomberomorus queenslandicus
Family: Scombridae (Mackerels, tunas, bonitos)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 100.0
Common length: 80.0
Depth range: 100 m (328 ft)
Environment: Marine; brackish; pelagic-neritic; oceanodromous; depth range ? - 100 m, usually ? - 30 m
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Western Pacific: largely confined to inshore coastal waters of southern Papua New Guinea and northern and eastern Australia, from Shark Bay and Onslow, Western Australia to Sydney, New South Wales. This species was confused with Scomberomorus guttatus.
Conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans: Reports of ciguatera poisoning
Uses: Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=1-2)

Sources

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

Last updated 27 September 2026