(Mitchill, 1815); SCOMBRIDAE FAMILY Occurs in the western Atlantic north to the Chesapeake Bay and occasionally to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and south to Yucatan, Mexico.
The Spanish mackerel can be distinguished from both the cero mackerel, Scomberomorus regalis, and the king mackerel, S. cavalla, by the presence of bronze or yellow spots but no stripes, on the sides and by the lack of scales on the pectoral fins. The cero, the Spanish mackerel's closest look alike in the Atlantic, has both spots and stripes of bronze or yellow on the sides, and the king mackerel has neither spots nor stripes. Both the cero and the king mackerel have scales on the pectoral fins.
The anterior portion of the first dorsal fin in the Spanish mackerel is black (not true of the king mackerel), and the second dorsal fin and pectoral fins may be black tipped. The body is essentially silvery and typically mackerel like. The back is bluish.
| Length | Location | Catch Date | Angler | Kayak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 in | Gulf of Mexico, FL, USA | 17-September-2013 | Keith Morrison | Hobie Revolution 13 |
| 21.75 in | Gulf of Mexico, Perdido Key, FL, USA | 13-October-2013 | Darrell Olson | Jackson Kayak Big Tuna |
