| Family: |
Scombridae (Mackerels, tunas, bonitos), subfamily: Scombrinae |
| Max. size: |
64 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 2,900.0 g; max. reported age: 18 years |
| Environment: |
pelagic-neritic; marine; depth range 0 - 300 m, oceanodromous |
| Distribution: |
Indo-Pacific: anti-tropical, absent from the Indian Ocean except for South Africa, KZN to Western Cape (58304).
Reports from Atlantic incl. Mediterranean are Scomber colias, and from Red Sea and northern Indian Ocean are Scomber australasicus (Ref. 27328). |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 9-11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 11-12; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 12-14; Vertebrae: 31-31. Interpelvic process small and single. No well developed corselet. Swim bladder present. First haemal spine posterior to first interneural process; 12 to 15 interneural bones under first dorsal fin. Anal fin spine conspicuous, clearly separated from anal rays but joined to them by a membrane. Back with narrow stripes which zigzag and undulate. Belly unmarked (Pacific population) or with wavy lines (Atlantic pop.) (Ref. 168). Caudal peduncle with 5 finlets on the upper and lower edge. Distance between dorsal fins shorter than or equal to the first dorsal fin base (Ref. 35388). |
| Biology: |
A coastal pelagic species, to a lesser extent epipelagic to mesopelagic over the continental slope (Ref. 168). Schooling by size is well developed and initiates at approximately 3 cm (Ref. 168); may also form schools with Sarda chiliensis, Trachurus symmetricus and Sardinops sagax (Ref. 9340). Adults stay near the bottom during the day; go up to the open water at night, (Ref. 5377) where they feed on copepods and other crustaceans, fishes and squids (Ref. 168). They spawn in batches (Ref. 51846). Eggs and larvae are pelagic (Ref. 6769). In Asian waters, they move to deeper water and remain inactive during the winter season (Ref. 4576). Commercially cultured in Japan. Marketed fresh, frozen, smoked, salted and occasionally canned (Ref. 9684). Eaten fried, broiled and baked (Ref. 9988). Used in Chinese medicine (Ref. 12166). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 01 June 2022 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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