Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel
Torpedo mackerel ( Scomberomorus commerson )
The torpedo - mackerel ( Scomberomorus commerson ) is a predator of the family of mackerels and tunas, which is found mainly in the Indo-Pacific. The species is fished commercially, is known as a sport fish and now increasingly threatened. It is used as a food fish by humans.
Description
The torpedo mackerel has a long first dorsal fin with 15 to 18 hard jets, of which the second is the longest, which starts just behind the head and ends just before the approach of the second dorsal fin. The second dorsal fin consists of 15 to 20 soft rays. The approach of the anal fin, which consists of 16 to 20 soft rays, is slightly behind that of the second dorsal fin. On top of the tail stem, there are eight to ten Flössel, on the bottom seven to twelve. The pelvic fins are very small. The pointed flippers put behind the gill covers to just below the middle of the body. The body is a spindle shape. The flanks are covered below the lateral line with dark, vertically arranged strips. Juvenile specimens have dark at their flanks, oval spots. The back is blue. The side line is very irregular. While they initially runs far up the body, it falls at the base of the second dorsal fin far below the midsection from and extends from about the sixth upper Flössel wavy on the midsection. There is no swim bladder present. In the terminal mouth many sit quite large, slightly curved backwards teeth.
Distribution, habitat and biology
Torpedo mackerel are widely spread over the tropical regions of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific. They also inhabited the African Atlantic coast of South Africa to the equator. About the Suez Canal, they migrated to the Mediterranean and it is assumed that they will spread in the future there as well.
The torpedo mackerel lives ozeanodrom over the continental shelf and preferred depths of 10 to 70 meters. It also shows a preference for reefs. They often penetrates into shallow water in front of a rather limited amount of salt. It is a group of fish, but is also found individually. Some populations do more hiking on the coast, others remain sedentary.
Torpedo mackerel are epipelagische predators that feed mainly on small fish such as anchovies and other small herring -like, but also cephalopods and shrimps. Eggs and larvae are pelagic. Like all Scombriden they are also quick and perennial swimmers.