Trachurus trachurus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Atlantic horse mackerel
Trachurus trachurus
photo by JJPhoto

Family:  Carangidae (Jacks and pompanos), subfamily: Caranginae
Max. size:  70 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 2,000.0 g
Environment:  pelagic-neritic; marine; depth range 0 - 1050 m, oceanodromous
Distribution:  Eastern Atlantic: from Madeira, the Straits of Gibraltar and Canary and Cape Verde Islands to South Africa; northward extending into the Mediterranean Sea and along the Atlantic coasts of Europe to Norway.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 9-9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 30-36; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 24-32. Bluish green, grey or black above, silvery white below; opercle with black spot (Ref. 3197). Lateral scales tall and keeled. Gill cover with a distinct black spot. First dorsal fin tall (Ref. 35388).
Biology:  Adults form large schools in coastal areas with sandy substrate. They feed on fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods. Are batch spawners (Ref. 51846). Females lay 140,000 eggs, which hatch into 5mm long larvae (Ref. 35388). Eggs are pelagic (Ref. 4233). Utilized fresh, smoked, canned and frozen; can be fried, broiled and baked (Ref. 9988). Divided into two stocks: West stock and North Sea stock. West stock spawns in a belt from the Biscay to Ireland in early spring, migrates north and eastwards to southern Norway and northern North Sea. North Sea stock spawns in the southern North Sea in summer, migrates to central North Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat.
IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable (VU); Date assessed: 09 May 2013 (A2bd) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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