Description: A medium-sized scombrid. Body naked except for corselet of large, specialized scales, and lateral line. Two dorsal fins separated by a narrow space. Anterior spines of the dorsal fin much higher than the others, giving the fin a concave outline. Second dorsal fin followed by 8 finlets and anal fin followed by 7 finlets. Pectoral fins short. Two flaps (interpelvic processes) between the pelvic fins. Larger central keel between two smaller keels in the caudal peduncle. Strongly forked caudal fin. Back dark blue with a pattern of broken oblique stripes not extending forward beyond the middle of the first dorsal fin; lower sides and belly silvery white. Has several dark spots between the pelvic and pectoral fins.
Global Distribution: Atlantic Ocean, in tropical and subtropical waters, including the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. View Map
BIOLOGICAL FEATURES
Size: Maximum length 122 cm (total length); common length 80.0 cm (TL); maximum published weight: 16.5 kg.
Population structure & migrations: Highly migratory species.
ECOLOGICAL FEATURES
Depth range: FishBase: 1 - 150 m.
Habitat: Found in neritic waters close inshore.
Feeding habits: Opportunistic predator which feeds on virtually everything within its range, i.e. crustaceans, fishes, squids, heteropods and tunicates.
Trophic level: FishBase: 4.5
FISHERIES
Commercial interest: Commercial species; also a popular gamefish.
Conservation status: Global: Least concern.
Europe: Least concern.
Nutritional information & food safety: Health warning: reports of ciguatera poisoning in some areas.
REFERENCES
Carpenter K.E., ed. (2002). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Volume 3: Bony fishes part 2 (Opistognathidae to Molidae), sea turtles and marine mammals. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes and American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Special Publication No. 5. FAO, Rome, pp. 1375-2127.
Collette B.B., Nauen C.E. (1983). FAO Species Catalogue Vol. 2. Scombrids of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of tunas, mackerels, bonitos and related species known to date. FAO Fisheries Synopses, 125 vol.2, 137 pp.
Hureau J.-C., ed. (1984-1985). Fishes of the North-Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. UNESCO. Accessed through: Marine Species Identification Portal. World Wide Web electronic publication. http://species-identification.org (2014).
IUCN (2014). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.1. www.iucnredlist.org
Nieto A., Ralph G.M., Comeros-Raynal M.T., Kemp J., GarcÃa Criado M., Allen D.J., Dulvy N.K., Walls R.H.L., Russell B., Pollard D., GarcÃa S., Craig M., Collette B.B., Pollom R., Biscoito M., Labbish Chao N., Abella A., Afonso P., Ãlvarez H., Carpenter K.E., Clò S., Cook R., Costa M.J., Delgado J., Dureuil M., Ellis J.R., Farrell E.D., Fernandes P., Florin A-B., Fordham S., Fowle, S., Gil de Sola L., Gil Herrera J., Goodpaster A., Harvey M., Heessen H., Herler J., Jung A., Karmovskaya E., Keskin C., Knudsen S.W., Kobyliansky S., KovaÄić M., Lawson J.M., Lorance P., McCully Phillips S., Munroe T., Nedreaas K., Nielsen J., Papaconstantinou C., Polidoro B., Pollock C.M., Rijnsdorp A.D., Sayer C., Scott J., Serena F., Smith-Vaniz W.F., Soldo A., Stump E., Williams J.T. (2015). Europen Red List of Marine Fishes. IUCN and European Union, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 90 pp.
