Mediterranean horse mackerel [2] , or the Black Sea mackerel [2] ( lat. Trachurus mediterraneus ), is one of the widespread species of ray-finned fish from the family of horse mackerel (Carangidae) [3] . Medium-sized marine fish with pronounced fluctuations in numbers; walks in shoals at depths of 5 m. It is an important object of fishing, as well as amateur fishing (primarily in the Crimea ).
| Mediterranean horse mackerel |
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| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
| View: | Mediterranean horse mackerel |
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Trachurus mediterraneus
( Steindachner , 1868 ) |
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- according to FishBase [1] :
- Caranx trachurus mediterraneus Steindachner, 1868
- Suareus furnestini
Dardignac & Vincent, 1958
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Flock of Mediterranean horse mackerel
The fish reaches a maximum length of 60 cm, but specimens 20-30 cm long are much more common [4] . The lateral line is completely covered by bone shields. The head is large in proportion to the body. The mouth is also large. Fins Formula: D1 VII — IX. D2 I 26-34. A II, I 21-31.
Bento-pelagic subtropical fish occurs at depths of 5 to 500 m [5] . Oceanodromic fish usually inhabits seawater , but also comes into brackish (for example, Sevastopol Bay ) [6] . Predatory fish that feeds on juveniles of other pelagic fish, such as hamsa , sprat , atherin , gerbil , tyulka , herring , other juveniles, as well as crustaceans ( mysids , shrimps , amphipods , isopods ). Horse mackerel is sensitive to overly intensive catches: it takes many years to recover, during which the herd shrinks and rejuvenates [7] .
Mediterranean horse mackerel in the open Atlantic is distributed from Biscay in the north to Mauritania in the south. Through the Strait of Gibraltar, it is widely represented in the Mediterranean , hence the name. Constantly inhabits the Sea of Marmara , penetrates through the Bosphorus into the Black Sea , where it is also quite common, enters the Sea of Azov only in its southern and southwestern outskirts. In the Black Sea itself, a rather small northern form up to 20 cm long and a large southern form up to 55 cm are distinguished.
Fishing tons of Mediterranean horse mackerel in tons from 1950 to 2009
The main fishing grounds for horse mackerel are located in the Atlantic, as well as in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. It is caught using pelagic and bottom trawls, purse seines and tiers. At the South Coast is an object of sports hunting, where it is well caught from piers to lurex. According to the FAO, in 1999 the industrial catch amounted to 12,898 tons. The largest catch was made by Turkey (9,220 tons) and Greece (3,534 tons). In the territorial waters of Sevastopol, horse mackerel catches fell from 318 tons in 2008 to 62 tons in 2011 [7] . It is sold in fresh and canned form, and is also used for the production of fish-based feed.
There are 2 subspecies [8] :
- Trachurus mediterraneus mediterraneus (Steindachner, 1868) - Mediterranean horse mackerel [2]
- Trachurus mediterraneus ponticus Aleev, 1956 - Black Sea horse mackerel [2]
