MACKEREL (OF. makerel, maque•el, marine man, Fr. magucrean, from _NIL. omeorellos, mack erel. probably from Lat. macula, .poll A fish of the spiny-rayed family Scombrid;e, and espe cially of the typical genus Seomher. The body is spindle-shaped and compressed, with a slender caudal peduncle, keeled on each side, and a crescent-shaped tail. There are two dorsal fins, the posterior one succeeded by from five to nine finlets. The common mackerel (Smother Acorn lo-tAs) is on both sides of the North Atlantic. south to Spain, in Europe. and Cape Ilatteras in America. It is a very beautiful fish. brilliant green and blue above with about thirty five wavy black transverse streaks, and silvery below. The average length is about 12 inches, such a fish weighing about a pound. Occasion ally one HMIs a specimen 20 inches in length with a weight of :3 to 4 pounds. Maturity is reached about the fourth year. Young mackerel are variously called blinkers,' and 'tinkers,' according to their size. The mackerel appear along the coast in spring in immense schools, often estimated to contain hundreds of thousands of barrels, wandering widely and voraciously feed ing upon anything smaller than themselves. main ly young fishes; and withdraw again in the fall to deeper, warmer waters. They spawn in May, June, and July on the American coast. The eggs are very minute and at first float at the surface, hut subsequently gradually sink to the bottom.
A single female may contain as many as 200.000 eggs; and during the summer of 1896 240)0,000 mackerel eggs were artificially hatched by the United States Fish Commission.
There are only a few species of mackerel, but these are widely distributed and everywhere high ly valued as fool. The flesh, especially of the common species, is excellent when eaten fresh. and is salted in very great quantities. The mackerel fisheries (see lotsnEttiEs) are among the most important in both Europe and America. The principal fishing station in the States is Gloucester, Mass. About 1000 vessels were employed in former years, hut now the number has been reduced to less than 500. The chub mackerel (Somber colias) is found in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The immense horse mackerel (Thonnus thynnus), pelagic and found in both oceans, reaches a length of 10 feet and a weight of 1500 pounds. The flesh is ex cellent and large numbers of the fish are caught by Europeans. (See TUNNY.) The Spanish mackerel (Stomlbervniorus maeulatus) occurs on both coasts of the United States, attaining a weight of 8 or 9 pounds, and is a most excellent food fish. Consult: Goode, Fishery Industries, see. i. (Washington, 1884), and other works cited under FISH and under FISHERIES. See Plate of MACKERELS.