MACKEREL, Scomber, a genus of fishes of the family scomberidce (q.v.); having a. spindle-shaped body; the tail becoming very slender, and slightly ridged or keeled on each side. Some of the species have, and some have not, air-bladders.—One species, the COMMON MACKEREL (S. scomber), is plentiful on the coasts of Britain, and of Europe, from the Mediterranean to the furthest n., also on those of Greenland, and on the American side of the North Atlantic ocean. It is a very beautiful fish, of brilliant green and blue, the males having nearly straight dark transverse bands, the females having the bands elegantly undulated. The tail is crescent-shaped. The mackerel is said sometimes to attain a length of 20 in., but is usually about 14 to 16 in. long, and about 2 lbs. in weight. It is highly esteemed for the table, and the mackerel fisheries of the s. of Eng land and of the southern parts of Europe are very important. Mackerel is readily caught by bait, and particularly by any kind of bait moving swiftly through the water—a long slice ciit from oue of its own kind, or even a slip of red leather, or a piece of scarlet cloth. Boats engaged in mackerel fishing are therefore often under sail, and a smart or " mackerel" breeze is preferred. But the greatest quantities of mackerel are taken by nets; seine-nets wrought by two boats, and iuclosing shoals of fish, or drift-nets-20 ft.
deep by 120 ft. long—well corked at the top, and without lead at the bottom. Mackerel, after being taken, must be sent very quickly to market, as they very soon cease to be - quite fresh. Fast-sailing boats are employed for this purpose, which purchase from tbe fishing-boats, and often einploy the aid of steam. In France and some other parts of Europe, mackerel are often salted.—It WKS formerly supposed that great migrations or mackerel took place; but it is now believed, as in regard to herring, that they merely leave the deep water and approach the coast for the purpose of spawninz. The time when they appear varies in different latitudes; in the s. of England, the mackerel season, is in the end of spring and beginning of summer; in Orkney, it is in the end of summer. —Another species, the SP.ANISH MACKEREL (S. colias), which attains the weight of 4 or 5. lbs., and is more obscurely banded, is sornetimes caught on the southern coasts of Britain, but is little esteemed. It has an air-bladder, which the common mackerel has not. —The SCad (q.v.) is sometimes called HoRsE-MacREREL.—The MACKEREL-MIDGE, a very small fish, is a species of rockling (q.v.), of the family gadalce.