Mackerel in Canada

Mackerel (Scombridae) is a family of pelagic (open-sea) fishes of the class Actinopterygii. The family also includes tunas, albacores, skipjacks, bonitos and ceras. The name mackerel, more commonly used for members of genus Scomber, is also applied to fishes of genus Auxis (bullet and frigate mackerels), genus Scomberomorus (Spanish mackerels) and family Gempylidae (snake mackerels). Two species of true mackerels, genus Scomber, occur in the temperate waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans near the coasts of Canada: the Atlantic mackerel and the Pacific chub mackerel.

Description

The Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) is an elongated, streamlined fish resembling a miniature tuna. Few exceed 52 cm in length. Located behind the widely spaced dorsal fins and the anal fin are five small finlets on the dorsal and ventral surfaces. The chub mackerel (S. japonicus) resembles the Atlantic mackerel but is smaller.

Migration

Swiftly swimming mackerel form huge schools in surface waters off coasts facing the open sea. They are highly migratory: those in Canadian Atlantic waters move inshore and northward along the coast as far as Labrador in summer; southward and offshore in late fall. This population is thought to overwinter in deep waters between Sable Island and Cape Cod.

Reproduction

In Canadian waters, spawning occurs from late May to July. An average-sized female may produce up to 500,000 buoyant eggs. Mackerel feed primarily on plankton, eating a wide variety of small organisms.

Significance of Fishery

The chub mackerel supports a fishery in California waters but not in Canadian waters. Atlantic mackerel is an important food fish on both sides of the Atlantic and is used fresh, frozen, smoked and salted. In Canadian waters, it is fished commercially from the Bay of Fundy to Labrador, primarily by purse seines, but also by weirs and trap nets. Mackerel are also prized by anglers, particularly in United States waters.