Cat coat genetics as "transmembrane aminopeptidase Q" ("Taqpep"), which also produces the king cheetah coat variant. Spotted tabbies have their stripes broken up into spots, which may be arranged vertically or horizontally. A 2010 study suggests that spotted is caused by the modification of mackerel stripes, and may cause varying phenotypes such as "broken mackerel" tabbies via multiple loci. The "Ticked" gene, "T / t", produces an "Abyssinian ticked" or non-patterned agouti tabby with the dominant allele, having virtually no stripes or bars. Stripes usually remain to some extent on the face, tail, legs, and sometimes the chest. The dominant ticked tabby allele
Mackerel landed by commercial fishermen (see graph on the right). Sport fishermen value the fighting abilities of the king mackerel. Over 30 different species, principally belonging to the family Scombridae, are commonly referred to as mackerel. The term "mackerel" means "marked" or "spotted", and derives from the Old French "maquerel", around 1300, meaning a pimp or procurer. The connection is not altogether clear, but mackerel spawn enthusiastically in shoals near the coast, and medieval ideas on animal procreation were creative. About 21 species in the family Scombridae are commonly called mackerel. The type species for the scombroid mackerel is the Atlantic