mackerel

a kind of fish – finned sea fish – a collective name given to several types of fish with slim, cylindrical shape, very small scales, forked tail, pointed head, fins and finlets on the back and underside, vertical lines of different colours depending on the species; size: (varies widely) 1-3 feet long, and weight: (varies widely) from 1 Kg to 45 Kg; feeds on fish, shrimps, and very small to small sea animals; lives for 7-20 years; 48 (?) species (kinds) found in most of the sea and ocean waters of the world

[A group of mackerels is called a ‘school’ or ‘shoal’.]

Some common mackerel are: king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, cero mackerel, wahoo mackerel, Atlantic mackerel, chub mackerel, Pacific mackerel

The name ‘mackerel’ is also used with the names of other fish to indicate their shape and, more importantly, the vertical stripes of different colours for different species like that of the mackerel. Some of them are: mackerel pike, mackerel shark, mackerel scad, jack mackerel, mackerel tail goldfish

Special Features:

Mackerels are an important food fish.  They are an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids, selenium and vitamin B12!

The ‘king mackerel’ is the largest of mackerels, being 5 feet in length.

The Mackerel is the only common salt-cured sushi.

Figures of Speech:

1.

mackerel-backed [said of a person with a long, thin, ungraceful and unattractive body]

2.

mackerel sky [said of a blue sky with light white clouds]

3.

as clean as a mackerel

4.

(a)  as mute as a mackerel

(b)  as mush as a mackerel (‘mush’ = thick soft and pulpy)

5.

heart playing like a mackerel [said of someone’s emotional excitement]

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