Biology

Atlantic mackerel belong in the Scombridae family commonly called mackerel, a common name for swift-moving marine fish. The Scombridae family also includes tuna and bonito. Their bodies are spindle-shaped and tapered at both ends. This shape allows them to move quickly, reaching speeds of up to 70 mph. They have iridescent blue green on their back and a silvery white underside, with 20 to 30 wavy black bars running across the top half of their body. A narrow dark streak runs below these bars along their sides. This distinctive coloring fades quickly after they die.

They grow quickly, living up to 20 years and reaching sexual maturity by age two to three. They can reach lengths of up to 16 ½ inches and a weight of 2.2 pounds. Females grow bigger than males. Depending on their size, females can spawn between 285,000 and 2,000,000 eggs, releasing them in batches five to seven times throughout the spawning season. Eggs will float in the surface water and hatch in four to seven and a half days depending on the water temperature.

Atlantic mackerel feed mainly on crustaceans like copepods, krill, and shrimp, but also consume squid, some fish, and ascidians. They are prey to several species of fish and marine mammals such as tunas, sharks, and dolphins.

The UK, the EU, Norway, and the Faroe Islands work together to manage their catches through the Coastal States Arrangement. However, fishing of the Atlantic mackerel stock as a whole has remained in excess of scientifically recommended limits since the 1980s. In September 2019, all MSC certifications for Atlantic mackerel were suspended.