Jack mackerels or saurels are marine fish in the genus ''Trachurus'' of the family Carangidae. The name of the genus derives from the Greek words ''trachys'' ("rough") and ''oura'' ("tail"). Some species, such as ''T. murphyi'', are harvested in purse seine nets, and

overfishing Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish (i.e. fishing) from a body of water at a rate greater than that the species can replenish its population naturally (i.e. the overexploitation of the fishery's existing fish stock), resulting in th ...

(harvesting beyond sustainable levels) has sometimes occurred. It is often used in Japanese cuisine, where it is called ''aji'', in Turkish cuisine, where it is called ''istavrit'', and in

Portuguese Cuisine The oldest known book on Portuguese cuisine, entitled ''Livro de Cozinha da Infanta D. Maria de Portugal'', from the 16th century, describes many popular dishes of meat, fish, poultry and others. ''Culinária Portuguesa'', by António-Maria De O ...

, where it is called ''carapau''.

Species

250px, Japanese breakfast with grilled horse mackerel">grilled.html" ;"title="breakfast with grilled">breakfast with grilled horse mackerel The genus ''Trachurus'' was defined in 1810 by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque-Schmaltz, who called the type species ''Trachurus saurus''. taxonomy (biology), Taxonomists later determined that ''T. saurus'' was in fact the same species as one described earlier as ''Scomber trachurus'', defined in

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the sta ...

by Carl Linnaeus. Under the rules of binomial nomenclature, that species is now known as ''

Trachurus trachurus The Atlantic horse mackerel (''Trachurus trachurus''), also known as the European horse mackerel or common scad, is a species of jack mackerel in the family Carangidae, the jacks, pompanos and trevallies. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean ...

'', commonly known as the Atlantic horse mackerel. The currently recognized species in this genus are:

References

* Fitch JE (1956
"Jack mackerel"
''CalCOFI Reports'', 5: 27–28. {{Taxonbar, from=Q982933 * Caranginae Extant Eocene first appearances Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque Marine fish genera