KING MACKEREL – Scomberomorus cavalla
Family Scombridae, MACKERELS AND TUNAS
Description: color of back iridescent bluish green, sides silvery; streamlined body with tapered head; no black pigment on front of the first dorsal fin; lateral line starts high and drops sharply below the second dorsal fin; young fish often have yellowish spots like those of Spanish mackerel.
Similar fish: cero, S. regalis; Spanish mackerel,. maculatus.
Where found: NEARSHORE and OFFSHORE; occasionally taken from piers runnin into deep water.
Size: common to 20 pounds.
Remarks: schooling fish that migrates from south Florida waters in winter to more northerly waters in spring; Gulf population thought to be separate from Atlantic population, with considerable mixing in winter from Cape Canaveral past Key West; spawns in mid summer OFFSHORE; feeds on small fish and squid.
- SAILFISH – Istiophorus platypterus
- WHITE MARLIN – Tetrapterus albidus
- BLUE MARLIN – Makaira nigricans
- LONGBILL SPEARFISH – Tetrapturus pfluegeri
- SWORDFISH – Xiphias gladius
- DOLPHIN – Coryphaena hippurus
- BLACKFIN TUNA – Thunnus atlanticus
- YELLOWFIN TUNA – Thunnus albacares
- LITTLE TUNNY – Euthynnus alletteratus
- WAHOO – Acanthocybium solanderi
- SPANISH MACKEREL – Scomberomorus maculatus
- CERO (cero mackerel) – Scomberomorus regalis
- GREAT BARRACUDA – Sphyraena barracuda
- BAY ANCHOVY – Anchoa mitchilli
- STRIPED ANCHOVY – Anchoa hepsetus
- STRIPED MOJARRA – Diapterus plumieri
- STRIPED (BLACK) MULLET – Mugil cephalus
- FANTAIL MULLET – Mugil gyrans
- ATLANTIC SPADEFISH – Chaetodipterus faber
- GAFFTOPSAIL CATFISH – Bagre marinus
- HARDHEAD CATFISH – Arius felis
- GULF FLOUNDER – Paralichthys albigutta
- SPOT – Leiostomus xanthurus
- SOUTHERN KINGFISH – Menticirrhus americanus