Mackerel fish, sometimes indicating the fish has vertical stripes similar to a scombroid mackerel: By extension, the term is applied also to other species such as the mackerel tabby cat, and to inanimate objects such as the altocumulus mackerel sky cloud formation. Most mackerel belong to the family Scombridae, which also includes tuna and bonito. Generally mackerel are much smaller and slimmer than tuna, though in other respects they share many common characteristics. Their scales, if present at all, are extremely small. Like tuna and bonito, mackerel are voracious feeders, and are swift and manoeuvrable swimmers, able to streamline themselves by
Mackerel scad western Indian, and the North west, center west, center east and south west Pacific. Mackerel scad usually live in subtropical seas at depths up to 400 m. They prefer clear water, and are frequently found around islands. Although mackerel scad have been found at the surface, they are usually caught at depths between 40 and 200 meters. They feed mainly on zooplankton. Mackerel scad are fairly important both to fisheries and to sportfishing. They can be used as food, but are known to carry ciguatera, and are more often used as bait, since large gamefish such as the blue-spotted grouper,