| Family: |
Scombridae (Mackerels, tunas, bonitos), subfamily: Scombrinae |
| Max. size: |
91.4 cm FL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 11 kg; max. reported age: 5 years |
| Environment: |
pelagic-neritic; brackish; marine; depth range 80 - 200 m, oceanodromous |
| Distribution: |
Eastern Atlantic: Oslo, Norway to Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Also known from the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Western Atlantic: Nova Scotia, Canada to Florida, USA and northern Gulf of Mexico; then from Colombia, Venezuela, and south of the Amazon River to northern Argentina; apparently absent from most of the Caribbean Sea. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 20-23; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15-18; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 14-17; Vertebrae: 50-55. Mouth moderately large. Laminae of olfactory rosette 21-39. Interpelvic process small and bifid. Body completely covered with very small scales posterior to the corselet. Swim bladder absent. Spleen large. Liver with elongate left and right lobe and short middle lobe. Oblique dorsal stripes with a greater angle than in other species of Sarda. |
| Biology: |
Epipelagic, neritic and schooling species that may enter estuaries. Known to be cannibalistic, adults prey on small schooling fishes, invertebrates like squid and shrimps and can swallow relatively large prey. Eggs and larvae pelagic (Ref. 6769). Utilized fresh, dried or salted, smoked, canned and frozen (Ref. 9987). Able to adapt to different temperatures 12° to 27°C and salinities 14 to 39 (Ref. 36731). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 15 November 2021 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
reports of ciguatera poisoning |
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