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Atlantic mackerel

Distribution : North Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Sea. Seasonal movement schedules vary among populations.

The French name for gooseberry, 'groseille à maquereau', preserves an old culinary association. These tart berries were used to accompany mackerel, a custom recorded in the Littré dictionary. The fish therefore survives in the vocabulary of fruit, although the plant and the animal have no particular biological connection. Their association comes from the kitchen, not zoology.

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Habitat of Atlantic mackerel Habitat
Open water
Depth range of Atlantic mackerel Depth
0-250 m
Biological group of Atlantic mackerel Group
Ecological role of Atlantic mackerel Role
Predator, Filter feeder

Size

Adults often 30–40 cm according to DORIS

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

The contrast between striped back and plain belly highlights the Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus). Dark chevrons cross the blue-green upper side; the flanks are pearly white. Two dorsal fins, on the back, are clearly spaced apart. Nearer the forked tail, five finlets, tiny fins, occupy each of the upper and lower edges.

WHERE DOES IT LIVE?

The species occurs in the North Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Sea. Syntheses describe seasonal movements and depths reaching 250 m. Coastal, offshore and near-bottom phases vary by population and conditions. Detailed regional schedules cannot simply apply everywhere. Resource-following groups make occasional encounters difficult to interpret as residence.

WHAT DOES IT EAT?

From tiny crustaceans to fish, the Atlantic mackerel uses resources of different sizes. Copepods feed early stages in particular. Adults also consume other planktonic crustaceans and small fish such as anchovies and sardines. Their contributions vary with accessible resources and season.

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Atlantic mackerel

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Same habitat and depth

Open-water species

Same ecological role and depth

Predatory species Filter-feeding species

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