Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) is a saltwater, brackish species recorded in the United States. It is found at depths of 0–1000 m.
Scientific name: Scomber scombrus · Water: Saltwater, Brackish
Size: up to 60 cm
The Atlantic mackerel is a pelagic neritic scombrid that is abundant in cold and temperate shelf areas, forming large schools near the surface; it overwinters in deeper water and moves closer to shore as the water warms, when temperatures range between 11 and 14 degrees Celsius. It is mainly diurnal and feeds on zooplankton and small fish, and its eggs and larvae are pelagic; it is a batch spawner. It is traded fresh, frozen, smoked and canned. Its range is the North Atlantic, including the Mediterranean Sea, and there are two stocks in the north-east Atlantic, in the North Sea and around the British Isles; the North Sea stock decreased dramatically in the 1960s because of direct overfishing, and recruitment has been poor and unstable. Maximum length is about 60 cm fork length, commonly about 30 cm fork length, and it can live 17 years, maturing at about 28.7 cm. It is a highly commercial species and a gamefish, with a medium price category. Fishing vulnerability is low to moderate at 30 of 100 and resilience medium, and climate vulnerability is low at 10 of 100. IUCN lists it as least concern.
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