Horse mackerel (lat. Carangidae)

Black Sea horse mackerel, gathering in flocks and leading predatory image life. It is one of the most common fish in the Black Sea. Has the correct shape. It is actively used by chefs for its delicate taste.

There are two species of mackerel found in the Black Sea. The first species is about 50 cm long, and the second is only 20 cm. It belongs to the Stavrididae family from the order Perciformes.

The oblong body is covered with small scales and flattened on the sides. May have blue-green shades. The fin is pointed and resembles a fork. Can be seen near the operculum black spot- This distinguishing feature any horse mackerel.

Dolphins are constantly hunting for this fish. Their presence indicates a school of horse mackerel.

Fish live in schools that move in search of food. Only large adult individuals stay away, independently attacking prey. The main food of horse mackerel is the fry of other fish. The smell of wounded fish immediately attracts a school. Sometimes horse mackerel catches small shrimp. In cold weather, it practically does not feed, moving to the bottom of the sea.
Horse mackerel lives in salt water and is rarely found in fresh water bodies.

Reproduction

Spawning begins at a water temperature of 20-22 degrees and lasts from May to August. A female can lay up to 200 thousand eggs. Sexual maturity occurs at the age of two years. Life expectancy is from 7 to 10 years.

Fishing

Anglers are constantly hunting for this type of fish. It has tender meat of medium fat content, which is good for eating baked and fried, roll up canned food.

Sea horse mackerel has a taste superior even to ocean horse mackerel.

Horse mackerel is eaten without the head, as it is considered to be poisonous and dangerous to people. Contains a large number of Omega-3 substances, which have a positive effect on the heart and circulatory system.

general information

Horse mackerel

Horse mackerel fish belongs to the Stavrididae family and combines several important species under one name. commercial fish. In total, the Stavrid family includes about 150 species of fish, and only four of them are eaten and caught on an industrial scale. Horse mackerel belongs to the group of pelagic fish that lead a schooling lifestyle.

There are such types of mackerel fish as:

The common horse mackerel or Trachurus, a genus of predatory fish that lives in sea waters.
The yellowstripe or Selaroides leptolepis is a small, schooling fish that lives in the seas.

Spring view

In representatives of the horse mackerel family, the body is laterally compressed, but its shape can be different. Thus, the common horse mackerel has a very elongated, spindle-shaped body, covered with small scales. Horse mackerel has 2 fins on its back. The first of them, the front and short one, has spines ranging from 3 to 9. The rear and long fin has soft feathers ranging from 18 to 37 pieces.

The color of mackerel is interesting, which can range from light silver to gray-blue. There are also peculiarities in the structure of horse mackerel fish. The body of the fish is elongated, as a rule, does not exceed 35 cm in length. Horse mackerel has a sawtooth comb, which serves as a protective weapon for the fish against other predators. The largest specimen of mackerel fish reached 70 cm in length and weighed 2 kg. This is truly a record for a fish whose weight rarely exceeds 500 grams.

Lifestyle

Horse mackerel fish

Horse mackerel is a schooling pelagic fish that is a predator. The basis of the diet is zooplankton. Sometimes individuals use benthic and benthic invertebrate organisms such as shrimp as food. It adheres to the mackerel of the continental shelves, occasionally reaching the slopes of the depths. Its larvae, as well as juveniles, often swim in schools and hide from other predatory fish under the domes of jellyfish.

Spreading

Horse mackerel fish is common along the coastlines of countries such as Bulgaria, Great Britain, USA, Turkey and France. Horse mackerel can also be found in the Pacific and Indian oceans, the Japanese and Mediterranean seas. IN Russian Federation Horse mackerel fish is caught on an industrial scale in the Baltic or North Seas.

Horse mackerel fishing

Horse mackerel fish is very capricious in terms of fishing; it is not as easy to catch as it might seem at first glance. When catching this fish, it is necessary to pay very important attention to the quality of the tackle. If the fishing rod is of poor quality or made carelessly, for example, it has an inappropriate weight, the length of the leash does not meet the standards, or an unsuitable hook, then you are unlikely to be able to enjoy the catch. Therefore, it is advised to approach the preparation of hooks very carefully; they must be properly tied, accurately tinned.

Family Stavridae

When horse mackerel is larger in size, it is less demanding to catch. Its fishing is more stable; the hook and line, in this case, can be selected in larger dimensions. From August to April there is a very good bite of small-sized horse mackerel, although it is worth noting that the rest of the time the bite remains at a fairly good level.

Especially excellent fishing occurs when the wind changes and there is a small wave on the water. For example, on the Caucasus coast in the first half of the day the wind blows from the sea to the shore, and in the evening everything happens the other way around. Typically, the sunnier the day, the greater the fluctuation in temperature between water and land and the stronger the wind blows. In the first half of the day and in the second, the wind changes its direction.

In the morning, when the earth warms up and the wind weakens, and then completely calms down and after a certain time blows from the water, the best bite begins. As for the depth at which mackerel fish are caught, it is difficult to accurately name this figure, since it happens that it grabs the hook on the move, not allowing it to fall. But more often it is caught at the bottom.

If we take statistical data, we can see that this fish lives in all layers of the sea, starting from great depths, which reach sixty-five meters and right up to the very upper layers. It is noteworthy that when a school of fish rises from the lower layers to the top, it creates a sound very similar to the noise strong wind. At such moments, she is unsurpassedly caught in

Scientific classification
Common horse mackerel


International scientific name
Trachurus trachurus Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms

The common horse mackerel is a schooling pelagic fish. The size is small, some individuals reach a length of 50 cm (with a weight of about 1.5 kg), shorter lengths are usually found. It has a spindle-shaped elongated body, covered with small scales, ending in a thin caudal peduncle. Along the lateral line there are bony scutes, sometimes with spines directed backwards. The back is bluish-gray, the belly is silver.

Horse mackerel feeds on zooplankton, small fish, sometimes benthic or benthic invertebrates (shrimp). Horse mackerel adheres to the continental shelf, sometimes reaching the slopes of the depths. Larvae and young fish often stay in small schools under jellyfish and between floating objects.

Life expectancy is up to 9 years. In the waters of mid-latitudes, horse mackerel spawns in the warm season; in the subtropics and tropics, spawning occurs almost all year round. In the Black Sea, common horse mackerel is extremely rare.

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An excerpt characterizing the Common horse mackerel

In the spring of 1807, Pierre decided to go back to St. Petersburg. On the way back, he intended to go around all his estates and personally verify what was done from what was prescribed to them and in what situation the people were now, which God had entrusted to him, and which he sought to benefit.
The chief manager, who considered all the ideas of the young count almost madness, a disadvantage for himself, for him, for the peasants, made concessions. Continuing to make the task of liberation seem impossible, he ordered the construction of large school buildings, hospitals and shelters on all estates; For the master's arrival, he prepared meetings everywhere, not pompously solemn ones, which, he knew, Pierre would not like, but precisely the kind of religious thanksgiving, with images and bread and salt, precisely those that, as he understood the master, were supposed to influence the count and deceive him .
The southern spring, the calm, quick journey in the Viennese carriage and the solitude of the road had a joyful effect on Pierre. There were estates that he had not yet visited - one more picturesque than the other; The people everywhere seemed prosperous and touchingly grateful for the benefits done to them. Everywhere there were meetings that, although they embarrassed Pierre, deep down in his soul evoked a joyful feeling. In one place, the peasants offered him bread and salt and an image of Peter and Paul, and asked permission in honor of his angel Peter and Paul, as a sign of love and gratitude for the good deeds he had done, to erect a new chapel in the church at their own expense. Elsewhere, women with infants met him, thanking him for saving him from hard work. At the third estate he was met by a priest with a cross, surrounded by children, whom, by the grace of the count, he taught literacy and religion. In all the estates, Pierre saw with his own eyes, according to the same plan, the stone buildings of hospitals, schools, and almshouses that were to be opened soon. Everywhere Pierre saw reports from managers about corvée work, reduced compared to the previous one, and heard touching thanks for this from deputations of peasants in blue caftans.

Horse mackerel (Trachurus) is a sea schooling predatory fish. Horse mackerel belongs to the class of ray-finned fish, the order Perciformes, the horse mackerel family, the genus Mackerel.

The Latin name Trachurus comes from the Greek trachys, meaning "rough", and oura, meaning "tail". Russian word mackerel may mean different types fish from the horse mackerel family.

Horse mackerel - description and photographs

Horse mackerel fish reaches a length of 30-50 centimeters and weighs up to 300-400 grams. True, the weight of some individuals can exceed 1 kg. The largest specimen caught weighed 2 kg. But most often smaller fish are found. The body of horse mackerel is spindle-shaped and elongated, covered with small scales. It ends with a thin caudal peduncle and a caudal fin, which is widely forked. Bone plates with spines are located along the lateral line; the spines of some fish may be directed backwards. They protect the fish from predators. Also, mackerel fish have 2 dorsal fins, and on the subcaudal fin there are 2 sharp rays. The average lifespan of horse mackerel reaches about 9 years.

Types of horse mackerel

The horse mackerel genus includes more than 10 species. The main ones are the following:

Common horse mackerel (Atlantic) ( Trachurus trachurus)

Lives in Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, in the northwestern part of the Baltic Sea, in the North and Black Seas, in the coastal waters of Argentina and South Africa. It is a schooling fish about 50 cm long, weighing about 1.5 kg.

Mediterranean mackerel (Black Sea) ( Trachurus mediterraneus)

Lives in the east of the Atlantic Ocean, in the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Sea of Marmara, in the southern and southwestern parts Sea of Azov. The length of this type of horse mackerel reaches 20-60 cm. The lateral line of the fish is completely covered with bony scutes. The color of the back is bluish-gray, the belly is silvery-white. Mediterranean horse mackerel forms localized flocks containing individuals of varying sizes. This species consists of 2 subspecies: Mediterranean horse mackerel (Trachurus mediterraneus mediterraneus) and Black Sea horse mackerel(Trachurus mediterraneus ponticus).

Trachurus declivis)

lives in the Atlantic off the coast of Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, as well as off the coast of Australia and New Zealand. The body of the fish reaches 60 cm. The head and mouth of the fish are large, the first dorsal fin has 8 spines. The fish lives at depths of up to 300 meters.

Trachurus japonicus)

inhabits the waters of Southern Japan and Korea, as well as the East China Sea. In autumn, it is found off the coast of Primorye. The body of Japanese mackerel reaches 35-50 cm in length. The fish lives at a depth of 50-275 meters.

Where does horse mackerel live?

Horse mackerel fish lives in the Northern, Black and Mediterranean seas, as well as in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. Several species of horse mackerel are found off the coast of Argentina, Australia and South Africa. The fish usually swims at a depth of 50 to 300 meters. When cold weather sets in, horse mackerel migrates to warmer waters off the coast of Australia and Africa. Six species from the horse mackerel family live in the coastal waters of Russia.

What does mackerel eat?

Horse mackerel is a predatory fish that feeds on zooplankton, shrimp and small fish (anchovies, sardines), as well as crustaceans, mollusks and pelagic fish eggs, bottom and benthic invertebrates. From time to time this fish swims to depth, but mostly it stays close to the continental shelf in search of food.

Horse mackerel spawning

Spawning of horse mackerel in the tropics and subtropics occurs almost all year round. During the warm season, fish spawn in mid-latitude waters. The fish is characterized by fairly high fertility; each female produces about 200,000 eggs. Once born, the fry, up to one year of age, find refuge under the dome of jellyfish, which provides them with protection from enemies. Juvenile horse mackerel feeds on zooplankton.

Horse mackerel: preparation

Horse mackerel has tender meat without large bones. The meat has a specific taste, it is a little sour. Fish is sold both frozen and fresh. You can prepare various dishes from horse mackerel: it can be pickled, stewed, boiled, fried in oil or on a grill, salted, dried, smoked cold or hot. This fish produces delicious soups, hot and cold snacks. No less popular are canned horse mackerel with butter, in its own juice or in tomato. Such canned food is used as a separate dish or as an ingredient for pates, sandwiches or salads.

Benefits of horse mackerel and contraindications

Horse mackerel - very healthy fish, it contains many vitamins needed by the human body: proteins, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, calcium and sea minerals. At coronary disease, metabolic disorders, atherosclerosis, hypertension, advises including sea fish in your diet. Horse mackerel, like everyone else sea fish, contains such beneficial fatty acid as Omega-3. For people who are on a diet or are overweight, fish is ideal, as it does not contain a lot of fat.

But, like any product, horse mackerel has contraindications. The most important thing is individual intolerance to fish or seafood in general. The common mackerel is a predatory fish, so it accumulates mercury compounds, and they are dangerous when formed nervous system. For this reason, fish is not recommended for consumption by small children, pregnant women and nursing mothers.

The largest mackerel that went down in history weighed about 2 kg.
In 2004, 80 tons of mackerel were caught in the Mediterranean Sea, this amount became a record for catching this fish.

Horse mackerel - belongs to the predatory fish, lives in sea waters, belongs to the class of ray-finned fish, the horse mackerel family.

The fish has a characteristic rough tail, which is arranged in a wedge shape.

Description of horse mackerel

Horse mackerel is a small fish, it is only 40 cm long and weighs from 280-370 grams. Individual, larger horse mackerel can weigh as much as a kilogram. There were cases when fishermen caught horse mackerel weighing more than one and a half kilograms.

Most often in nature, horse mackerel small sizes. The body of the fish is more elongated with small scales. Bones with sharp spines are located on the sides of the back, most often they are turned backwards.

Spikes are all a fish has to protect itself from predators. On average, horse mackerel can live no more than 8 years.

Types of horse mackerel

The total number of species of such fish does not exceed 10. Let us name the main types of horse mackerel:

Common horse mackerel

The fish lives in the waters of the Atlantic, in the North and Black Seas, in the coastal waters of Argentina, Africa, and also in the Mediterranean Sea.

This type of horse mackerel lives in schools, each fish reaches 47 cm in length and weighs about one and a half kilograms.

Mediterranean horse mackerel

It happens this type in the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as in the Mediterranean and Marmara seas. Horse mackerel can be from 25-55 cm long. The sides of the fish’s body are covered with bony shields.

Horse mackerel back gray with a blue tint, the belly is white with silver splashes.

Mediterranean horse mackerel is found in schools, and in one school there are fish of completely different sizes.

This type of fish consists of two subspecies, namely the Mediterranean mackerel and the Black Sea.

Southern horse mackerel

It is found in the Atlantic Ocean mainly off the Brazilian, Uruguay, and Australian coasts. The fish is also found in New Zealand, but in smaller quantities. The body of this type of fish is no more than 60 cm long.

Horse mackerel is different big head and a large oral cavity, on the first fin in the back area there are 8 spines. The fish lives at a depth of 250-300 m.

Japanese mackerel

Lives in Japanese waters and South Korea, more of it can be seen in the China Sea. In autumn, fish swim to the shores of Primorye.

The length of the Japanese mackerel is only 37 cm. It lives at a depth of 100 - 250 meters.

Where is horse mackerel found?

The main habitat of horse mackerel is the Northern, Black and Mediterranean seas, where it is found in large quantities. Small schools of fish can also be found in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Selected species fish are found in the waters of Argentina and Australia.

Horse mackerel can swim quite quickly and is found at a depth of no more than 300 meters. With the onset of cold weather, mackerel sails to warm places, mainly to the waters of Australia and Africa.

Only five species of horse mackerel are found in Russian waters. Horse mackerel fishing in the Black Sea is carried out during the period when the fish stops spawning.

What does mackerel eat?

Horse mackerel is considered predatory fish, it eats small fish plankton, crustaceans and shrimp.

The main delicacy of fish is the caviar of pelagic fish. The fish spends less of its time at depth; it mainly hunts by swimming closer to the surface of the reservoir.

How do fish spawn?

A distinctive feature of the fish from many of its relatives is the fact that the fish spawns in warm water tropical countries almost all year round. In the warm season, horse mackerel prefers to lay eggs in mid-latitude waters.

Horse mackerel is considered the most prolific fish; it can lay from one and a half thousand to two hundred thousand eggs at a time.

As soon as the fry emerge from the eggs, before reaching one year of age, they attach themselves under the dome of the jellyfish, thus escaping from predators. Young fish also eat zooplankton.

How is horse mackerel caught and prepared?

Many people wonder how to catch horse mackerel. Fishermen set nets in the waters, since fish are found in schools, and a large number of fish fall into the net at once.

Horse mackerel meat is not fatty, very tender without large bones.

The fish has a specific taste, it tastes a little like water, and also has a certain sourness. You can buy horse mackerel frozen or fresh.

Fish is versatile in preparation; it can be marinated, stewed, fried, dried or smoked. Delicious, rich soups are prepared from horse mackerel, as well as all kinds of cold appetizers and sandwiches.