Like tuna and bonito, mackerel are voracious feeders, and are swift and manoeuvrable swimmers, able to streamline themselves by retracting their fins into grooves on their bodies. Their scales, if present at all, are extremely small.

Generally, mackerel are much smaller and slimmer than tuna, though in other respects, they share many common characteristics. Most mackerel belong to the family Scombridae, which also includes tuna and bonito. They have deeply forked tails and are smaller and slimmer than tuna. Like other scombroids, mackerel such as this Atlantic mackerel are superb swimmers, and can retract their fins into grooves on their bodies for streamlining. Pleurogrammus azonus (Jordan & Metz, 1913) These have been thought at times to be the same species, but are now recognised as separate species. Some confusion had occurred between the Pacific jack mackerel ( Trachurus symmetricus) and the heavily harvested Chilean jack mackerel ( T. In addition, a number of species with mackerel-like characteristics in the families Carangidae, Hexagrammidae and Gempylidae are commonly referred to as mackerel. ( Cuvier in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1832) This tribe consists of 21 species in all-18 of those are classified into the genus Scomberomorus, two into Grammatorcynus, and a single species into the monotypic genus Acanthocybium. The Spanish mackerels belong to the tribe Scomberomorini, which is the 'cousin tribe' of the true mackerels. The tribe consists of seven species, each belonging to one of two genera: Scomber or Rastrelliger. The true mackerels belong to the tribe Scombrini. Mackerel are smaller with shorter lifecycles than their close relatives, the tuna, which are also members of the same family. In 1999, Collette established, on molecular and morphological considerations, that these are separate species. Until recently, Atlantic chub mackerel and Indo-Pacific chub mackerel were thought to be subspecies of the same species. The type species for the scombroid mackerel is the Atlantic mackerel, Scomber scombrus. Scombroid mackerels Ībout 21 species in the family Scombridae are commonly called mackerel. The latter connection is not altogether clear, but mackerel spawn enthusiastically in shoals near the coast, and medieval ideas on animal procreation were creative. The term 'mackerel' is derived from Old French and may have originally meant either 'marked, spotted' or 'pimp, procurer'. Over 30 different species, principally belonging to the family Scombridae, are commonly referred to as mackerel. Sport fishermen value the fighting abilities of the king mackerel. In 2009, over 5 million tons were landed by commercial fishermen. Mackerel flesh is high in omega-3 oils and is intensively harvested by humans.

Flocks of seabirds, whales, dolphins, sharks, and schools of larger fish such as tuna and marlin follow mackerel schools and attack them in sophisticated and cooperative ways. Smaller mackerel are forage fish for larger predators, including larger mackerel and Atlantic cod.

From there they may move offshore into deeper waters and spend the winter in relative inactivity. After spawning they return the way they came in smaller schools to suitable feeding grounds, often near an area of upwelling. Some stocks migrate in large schools along the coast to suitable spawning grounds, where they spawn in fairly shallow waters. Many are restricted in their distribution ranges and live in separate populations or fish stocks based on geography. Mackerel species typically have vertical stripes on their backs and deeply forked tails.

They are found in both temperate and tropical seas, mostly living along the coast or offshore in the oceanic environment. Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of pelagic fish, mostly from the family Scombridae. Global commercial capture of mackerel in tonnes

Mackerel fish