Scomberomorini is a
tribe
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...
of
ray-finned, saltwater,
bony fishes that is commonly known as Spanish mackerels, seerfishes, or seer fish. This tribe is a subset of the
mackerel family (Scombridae), which it shares with four sister tribes, the
tunas,
mackerels,
bonitos, and
butterfly kingfish. Scomberomorini comprises 21
species
A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
across three
genera.
They are
pelagic fish, fast swimmers and predatory in nature, that fight vigorously when caught. They are mainly caught using hooks and lines.
Taxonomy
The following
cladogram
A cladogram (from Greek language, Greek ''clados'' "branch" and ''gramma'' "character") is a diagram used in cladistics to show relations among organisms. A cladogram is not, however, an Phylogenetic tree, evolutionary tree because it does not s ...
shows the most likely evolutionary relationships between the Spanish mackerels and the tunas, mackerels, bonitos, and butterfly kingfish.
This tribe comprises 21 species in three genera:
* ''
Acanthocybium''
(Gill, 1862)
** ''
A. solandri''
( Cuvier, 1832),
wahoo
* ''
Grammatorcynus''
(Gill, 1862)
** ''
G. bicarinatus''
( Quoy & Gaimard, 1825),
shark mackerel
** ''
G. bilineatus''
( Rüppell, 1836),
double-lined mackerel
* ''
Scomberomorus''
( Lacepède, 1801)
** ''
S. brasiliensis''
Collette, Russo & Zavala-Camin, 1978,
Serra Spanish mackerel
** ''
S. cavalla''
( Cuvier, 1829),
king mackerel
** ''
S. commerson''
( Lacépède, 1800),
narrow-barred Spanish mackerel
** ''
S. concolor''
( Lockington, 1879),
Monterrey Spanish mackerel
** ''
S. guttatus''
( Bloch & Schneider, 1801),
Indo-Pacific king mackerel
** ''
S. koreanus''
( Kishinouye, 1915),
Korean seerfish
** ''
S. lineolatus''
( Cuvier, 1829),
streaked seerfish
** ''
S. maculatus''
( Mitchill, 1815),
Atlantic Spanish mackerel
** ''
S. multiradiatus''
Munro, 1964,
Papuan seerfish
** ''
S. munroi''
Collette & Russo, 1980,
Australian spotted mackerel
** ''
S. niphonius''
( Cuvier, 1832),
Japanese Spanish mackerel
** ''
S. plurilineatus''
Fourmanoir, 1966,
Kanadi kingfish
** ''
S. queenslandicus''
Munro, 1943,
Queensland school mackerel
** ''
S. regalis''
( Bloch, 1793),
Cero mackerel
** ''
S. semifasciatus''
( Macleay, 1883),
broadbarred king mackerel
** ''
S. sierra''
Jordan
Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
& Starks, 1895,
Pacific sierra
** ''
S. sinensis''
( Lacépède, 1800),
Chinese seerfish
** ''
S. tritor''
( Cuvier, 1832),
West African Spanish mackerel
In India
Spanish mackerel is liked for its delicacy in various regions of South India and
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
. In
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
and
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
, this fish is called ''Vanjaram'' and is usually the most expensive fish available. In
Kerala
Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
, it is called ''Neymeen''. It is called ''Aiykoora'' in northern Kerala and south coastal
Karnataka
Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...
. In Sri Lanka, Spanish mackerel is known as ''thora''. Seerfishes are also referred to as ''king mackerels'' in some areas. They have very sharp teeth and are handled with care by fishers familiar with them. Seerfish is one of the more popular in this group for eating. Seerfishes are notorious for their
histamine poisoning. It can be fried, grilled, and steamed. It is gaining popularity in the South Pacific and
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
as a canned product.
Throughout India, Spanish mackerel may be known as the following:
*Tamil – Vanjaram, Seela
*Telugu – Vanjaram Chepa
*Kannada – Konema, Kalagnani, Surmai
*Tulu – Anjal
*Malayalam – Neymeen, Ayakkoora
*Sinhala (Sri Lanka) – Thora
*Marathi – Surmai
*Konkani – Iswon
See also
*
Mackerel as food
References
Scombridae
{{Scombroidei-stub