New Zealand country information

Common names: Blue mackerel, Japanese mackerel, Pacific mackerel
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: common (usually seen) | Ref: Armitage, R.O., D.A. Payne, G.J. Lockley, H.M. Currie, R.L. Colban, B.G. Lamb and L.J. Paul (eds.), 1994
Importance: commercial | Ref: Armitage, R.O., D.A. Payne, G.J. Lockley, H.M. Currie, R.L. Colban, B.G. Lamb and L.J. Paul (eds.), 1994
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Widely distributed around the North Island and northern South Island (Ref. 9258). Voucher specimen(s) held at the NMNZ. Also Ref. 168, 8879, 33246, 58461.
National Checklist:
Country Information: httpss://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/nz.html
National Fisheries Authority: https://www.fish.govt.nz/
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Paulin, C., A. Stewart, C. Roberts and P. McMillan, 1989
National Database:

Classification / Names

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Perciformes (Perch-likes) > Scombridae (Mackerels, tunas, bonitos) > Scombrinae
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Common names from other countries

Скумбрия австралийская, Maquereau tacheté, Caballa pintoja, ... more

Main reference

Collette, B.B. and C.E. Nauen. 1983. (Ref. 168)
References | Biblio | Coordinator : Collette, Bruce B. | Collaborators

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 44.0 cm FL male/unsexed; (Ref. 40637); common length : 30.0 cm FL male/unsexed; (Ref. 168); max. published weight: 1.4 kg (Ref. 40637)

Environment

Marine; pelagic-neritic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 87 - 200 m (Ref. 9563)

Climate / Range

Subtropical, preferred 24°C (Ref. 107945); 43°N - 50°S, 32°E - 110°W (Ref. 168)

Distribution

Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea, Persian Gulf; from Japan, south to Australia and New Zealand. Eastern Pacific: Hawaii and off Mexico (Socorro Island).
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 10 - 13; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 12; Vertebrae: 31. No well developed corselet but body covered with rather small scales. Palatine narrow. Anal fin origin clearly more posterior than that of second dorsal fin. Anal fin spine independent from anal fin. Swim bladder present. Snout pointed. Interpelvic process small and single. Back with narrow oblique lines which zigzag and undulate; the belly is pearly white and marked with thin, wavy broken lines.

Occurs in coastal waters (Ref. 9340) and also in oceanic waters (Ref. 9563). Minimum depth reported at 87 m (Ref. 58489); fishing depths to 265 m (cited in Ref. 58302). Schooling by size which may include jack mackerels and Pacific sardines. They are plankton feeders filtering copepods and other crustaceans, but adults also feed on small fish and squids. Also caught with encircling nets (Ref. 9340). Marketed fresh, dried-salted, smoked, canned and frozen (Ref. 9987).

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Least Concern (LC)

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes; bait: usually

More information

Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
Stocks
Ecology
Diet
Food items
Food consumption
Ration

Common names
Synonyms
Metabolism
Predators
Ecotoxicology
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development

Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Recruitment
Abundance

References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
Strains
Genetics
Allele frequencies
Heritability
Diseases
Processing
Mass conversion

Collaborators
Pictures
Stamps, Coins
Sounds
Ciguatera
Speed
Swim. type
Gill area
Otoliths
Brains
Vision

Tools

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

Download XML

Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Estimates of some properties based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805)
PD₅₀ = 0.5625 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278)
4.2 ±0.5 se; Based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 69278)
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.28)

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)
Moderate vulnerability (43 of 100)

Price category (Ref. 80766)
Very high

Scomber australasicus Cuvier, 1832