KING MACKEREL
(Scomberomorous cavalla)
Description: Color
of back iridescent bluish green, sides silvery, streamlined
body with tapered head, no black pigment on front of
the first dorsal fin, lateral line starts high and drops
sharply below the second dorsal fin, young fish often
have yellowish spots like those of Spanish mackerel.
Other Common Names: Kingfish, King, Smoker, Slab, Hog
Size: Common to 20
pounds.
Range: Found near
shore and offshore, occasionally taken from piers and
running into deep water.
Natural History: Schooling
fish that migrates from south Florida waters in winter
to more northerly waters in spring, Gulf population
thought to be separate from Atlantic population, with
considerable mixing in winter from Cape Canaveral past
Key West, spawns in midsummer offshore, feeds on small
fish and squid. |
