Decapterus macarellus
Mackerel Scad
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Carangidae (Jacks)
Decapterus
Decapterus macarellus (Mackerel Scad)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Elongate and oval in cross section, two distinctly separated dorsal fins, widely separated finlets behind second dorsal fin and anal fin, scutes on posterior part of straight section of lateral line. Dorsal profile of head very slightly convex, snout relatively long and acutely pointed. Eye has well-developed adipose eyelid. Maxilla extends beyond anterior margin of eye. Jaw teeth minute and arranged in a single row in juveniles but absent in adults. Preopercular margin smooth. Gill rakers on first arch lathlike, 9 to 13 on upper limb and 31 to 39 on lower limb. Branchiostegal rays number 7. Anterior margin of shoulder girdle has two small papillae. Pectoral fin falcate with 22 to 24 rays. First dorsal fin has eight spines, second dorsal fin has one spine and 31 or 37 rays. Anal fin has two free spines followed by one spine and 27 to 31 rays. Chest fully scaled. Lateral line weakly arched anteriorly with 68 to 79 scales and 0 scutes on curved section and 19 to 33 scales and 23 to 32 scutes on straight section. Total lateral line scales and scutes range from 119 to 133. Caudal peduncle lacks keels. Vertebrae number 24: 10 precaudal and 14 caudal.
Metallic blue to bluish black dorsally and silvery to white ventrally, with small black spot on upper margin of operculum. Caudal fin yellowish green to yellow.
Distribution
Gulf of Maine and Bermuda to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles.
In the Gulf of Mexico it is apparently limited to offshore waters and is rare to absent in the northern Gulf.
Habitat Associations
Open water in tropical and warm temperate seas. Offshore waters.
Biology
Feeds on planktonic invertebrates.
Maximum known size is about 300 mm FL.
Adults prefer clear oceanic waters, frequently around islands (Ref. 5217). Sometimes they are found near the surface, but generally caught between 40 and 200 m depth (Ref. 9283). Pelagic (Ref. 58302). Usually seen as fast moving schools along the reef edges near deep water (Ref. 48635, 26235). They feed mainly on zooplankton (Ref. 9283). Eggs are pelagic (Ref. 4233). Caught with purse seines and trawls (Ref. 9894). Marketed fresh and salted or dried (Ref. 9283).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2012-08-20. Resilience: High (K=0.8).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish.
References
Berry 1968
Böhlke and Chaplin 1968
Randall 1968a
Randall 1996
Robins and Ray 1986
Smith-Vaniz 1986a
Smith-Vaniz 2001b
Smith-Vaniz 2002c
Retzer 1990
Boschung 1992
Cervigón 1993b
Smith-Vaniz et al. 1999
Randall, J.E. (1967) Food habits of reef fishes of the West Indies. Stud. Trop. Oceanogr. Miami 5:665-847.
Smith-Vaniz, W.F. (1986) Carangidae. p. 815-844. In P.J.P. Whitehead, M.-L. Bauchot, J.-C. Hureau, J. Nielsen and E. Tortonese (eds.) Fishes of the north-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. UNESCO, Paris. vol. 2.
Paxton, J.R., D.F. Hoese, G.R. Allen and J.E. Hanley (1989) Pisces. Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Zoological Catalogue of Australia, Vol. 7. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 665 p.
Smith-Vaniz, W.F. (1995) Carangidae. Jureles, pámpanos, cojinúas, zapateros, cocineros, casabes, macarelas, chicharros, jorobados, medregales, pez pilota. p. 940-986. In W. Fischer, F. Krupp, W. Schneider, C. Sommer, K.E. Carpenter and V. Niem (eds.) Guia FAO para Identification de Especies para lo Fines de la Pesca. Pacifico Centro-Oriental. 3 Vols. FAO, Rome.
Smith-Vaniz, W.F. (1999) Carangidae. Jacks and scads (also trevallies, queenfishes, runners, amberjacks, pilotfishes, pampanos, etc.). p. 2659-2756. In K.E. Carpenter and V.H. Niem (eds.) FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the Western Central Pacific. Vol. 4. Bony fishes part 2 (Mugilidae to Carangidae). Rome, FAO. 2069-2790 p.
Heemstra, P.C. (1995) Additions and corrections for the 1995 impression. p. v-xv. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Revised Edition of Smiths' Sea Fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Jiménez Prado, P. and P. Béarez (2004) Peces Marinos del Ecuador continental. Tomo 2: Guía de Especies / Marine fishes of continental Ecuador. Volume 2: Species Guide. SIMBIOE/NAZCA/IFEA.
Mundy, B.C. (2005) Checklist of the fishes of the Hawaiian Archipelago. Bishop Mus. Bull. Zool. (6):1-704.
Comments On Decapterus macarellus