Atlantic Spanish mackerel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Atlantic Spanish mackerel |
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The Atlantic Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus maculatus) is a type of mackerel that travels a lot. These fish swim to the northern Gulf of Mexico in spring. When fall arrives, they return to southern Florida or Mexico.
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What Does It Look Like?
This fish has a green back and silvery sides. You can see about three rows of yellow spots on its sides. A line called the lateral line curves down from its gills to its tail. The front part of its first top fin is black.
Spanish mackerel have sharp, flat teeth in each jaw. There are about 64 teeth in total. These teeth are similar to those of the Bluefish. Spanish mackerel can grow quite large, sometimes reaching 36-37 inches long. They can weigh up to 14 pounds, but this is rare.
Where Do They Live?
Spanish mackerel are found in different places depending on the season. They live from the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico all the way north to Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
They prefer shallow waters, usually between 10 to 40 feet deep. Sometimes, you might find them in waters as deep as 80 feet. They like sandy bottoms.
How Do They Travel?
There seem to be two main groups of Spanish mackerel in Florida waters. One group lives in the Atlantic Ocean, and the other lives in the Gulf of Mexico.
As the water gets warmer, the Atlantic group travels north. They start from Miami, Florida, in late February and can reach southern Cape Cod by July. In the fall, they swim back south.
The Gulf group moves north from the Florida Keys in late winter and spring. They appear off Florida's west coast around April 1. They keep moving west, reaching the northern Texas coast. In the fall, this group returns to the Florida Keys for winter.
Life Cycle
The Gulf group of Spanish mackerel lays their eggs from May to September. This happens off the coasts of Texas and Florida. The Atlantic group starts laying eggs in April off the Carolinas. They continue spawning until late September in the northern parts of their range.
Spanish mackerel become adults and can have babies by the time they are one year old. At this age, they are about 14 inches long. Female fish live longer and grow bigger than males. Females can live up to 11 years, growing to 33 inches and weighing 11 pounds. Males usually live about 6 years and reach about 19 inches long.
What Do They Eat?
Spanish mackerel are carnivores, meaning they eat other animals. They mostly eat small fish. They also eat smaller amounts of shrimp and squid.
Some of their favorite foods include anchovies and other small fish like menhaden and herring. Young Spanish mackerel eat more anchovies than adult fish do.
Fishing for Spanish Mackerel
Spanish mackerel are very popular fish for both fun and commercial fishing. People catch them all along the coast from North Carolina to Texas.
How People Catch Them
People who fish for fun often catch Spanish mackerel from boats. They might drag lures behind the boat, which is called trolling. They also cast spoons, jigs, or live bait from boats, piers, or beaches. These fish are very fast, so you need to reel in your lure quickly!
Commercial fishermen mainly use large nets called gill nets. Sometimes, they also use trolling lures, similar to those used by recreational anglers.
In 1987, a fisherman named Woody Outlaw caught a world-record Spanish mackerel. It weighed 13 pounds! He caught it using a special lure and bait.
How They Are Managed
Fishing for Spanish mackerel is carefully managed. There are rules about how many fish you can catch and how big they must be. Commercial fishing also has limits on how much fish can be caught per trip. Fishing is only allowed during certain seasons.
These rules have helped the Spanish mackerel population. The number of fish used to be going down, but now it is increasing. This shows that managing fisheries can be successful!
Spanish Mackerel as Food
Spanish mackerel are often sold fresh or frozen. They are usually sold as fillets because the commercially caught fish are often too small for steaks. The raw meat is white.
You can cook Spanish mackerel in many ways. People often broil, fry, or bake them. Sometimes, they are also smoked.
This fish is also popular in sushi. It is sometimes called sawara on sushi menus, similar to a related Japanese fish.
Similar Fish
Spanish mackerel look a lot like two other fish: the small King mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla) and the Cero mackerel (Scomberomorus regalis). All three have similar shapes and colors. But you can tell them apart!
- Lateral Line: The lateral line on Spanish and Cero mackerel slopes gently from the gill to the tail. On a King mackerel, this line drops sharply in the middle of its body.
- First Dorsal Fin: Spanish and Cero mackerel have a clear black patch on their first top fin. King mackerel do not have this patch. However, these fish usually keep this fin folded back, so you might not see it right away.
- Spots and Stripes: Spanish mackerel have bright yellow spots on their sides at all ages. Cero mackerel have yellow spots and also one or more yellow stripes along their sides. Young King mackerel have smaller spots, but these spots fade away as the fish gets bigger. On larger King mackerel, you might only see them as slightly darker green spots on their back.
Around the world, there are many other fish in this family that look similar. For example, in Mexico, Atlantic Spanish mackerel might be confused with the Serra Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus brasiliensis).
See also
In Spanish: Scomberomorus maculatus para niños
