Mediterranean Horse Mackerel

Scientific Name: Trachurus mediterraneus

Category: fish

Mediterranean Horse Mackerel

Brief Description

A group of schooling marine fish often caught for food, recognizable by their silver-green bodies and prominent lateral line.

Characteristics

Elongated, slightly compressed body with a silvery-white belly and a greenish-blue back. It features a distinct lateral line with large, bony plates called scutes towards the tail. It has two dorsal fins and a deeply forked tail.

Habitat

Found in both pelagic and demersal marine environments, typically over sandy bottoms or near reefs at depths of 5 to 500 meters.

When to Find It

Common throughout the year, but often migrate closer to the shore during summer spawning months.

Conservation Status

Least Concern (IUCN)

Ecological Role

A key middle-link in the marine food chain, serving as a primary food source for larger predators like dolphins, tuna, and sea birds, while feeding on smaller crustaceans and fish larvae.

Easily Confused With

The Atlantic Horse Mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) is very similar but can be distinguished by the larger number of scutes along its lateral line and slight variations in the length of the accessory lateral line.

Observation Tips

Often observed by divers near the surface or mid-water in large, fast-moving schools. They are frequently spotted around coastal piers and rocky outcrops.

Interesting Facts

This species can live up to 15 years. They are known to exhibit nocturnal feeding habits and are commercially important across the Mediterranean and Black Seas.