Mackerel scad

Mackerel scad
Mackerel scad (Decapterus macarellus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Carangidae
Genus:	Decapterus
Species:	D. macarellus
Binomial name
Decapterus macarellus (G. Cuvier, 1833)

The mackerel scad, Decapterus macarellus, is a species of fish of the family, Carangidae. While mackerel scad can be considered gamefish, they are usually used as bait. They are popular eating fish in the Hawaiian islands, where they are called `opelu.

The largest mackerel scad recorded was 46 cm long. Their elongated bodies look somewhat circular when viewed head on. They are distinguishable by a small, detached fin, located between the dorsal and caudal fins. Mackerel scad have 9 spines and 31-36 rays on their dorsal fins, while there are seven spines and 27-30 rays on their anal fins.

The mackerel scad's fins are black metallic to blue-green and its belly is white. The edge of the operculum has a small, black spot, with no spots on the lateral line. Mackerel scad's caudal fins have been described as reddish to yellow-green.

The mackerel scad's range covers most of the world's oceans. In the western Atlantic, they have been found off Nova Scotia and Bermuda, south to Rio de Janeiro, although they do not seem common in the Gulf of Mexico. In the eastern Atlantic, mackerel scad have been found off St. Helena, Ascension Island, and Cape Verde. They have also been recorded in the Gulf of Guinea,The Azores, and Madeira. In the Indian ocean, mackerel scad have been found in the Red sea and the Gulf of Aden they are also known from South Africa, the Mascarenes, the Seychelles, and Sri Lanka. In the eastern Pacific, they are known from Revillagigedo Island, the Gulf of California, and the coast of Ecuador.

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