The Indian mackerel belongs to the family Scombridae and order Perciformes. It is commonly found in the Indian and western Pacific Oceans as well as surrounding seas. Indian mackerel are pelagic fish that live in shallow coastal waters between depths of 20-90 meters and feed on plankton including fish and shrimp larvae. They migrate and school in large numbers, spawning between March and September in the northern hemisphere and September to March in the southern hemisphere. Indian mackerel is an important food fish that is fished commercially using various nets and boats.

1. BIOLOGY OF
INDIAN
MACKEREL
Vinod Kumar
FRM

2. INDIAN MACKEREL
 The Indian mackerel belongs to the family scombridae and
order perciformes .
 It is commonly found in the Indian and west pacific oceans,
and their surrounding seas.
 Marine, pelagic –neritic, oceanodromous.
 Depth range 20-90m.
 It is an important food fish .

3. Indian mackerel

4.  The Indian mackerel is found in Indian and Pacific oceans with a wider
distribution covering Red sea, east Africa, Indonesia, China, Australia
and French Polynesia.
 In India they are abundant all along the east and west coasts,
Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar islands.
 It entered the eastern Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal .

5. HABITAT
The Indian Mackerel fish are generally found in the shallow,
coastal waters.
The mature fish are generally found in the coastal bays,
harbours and in the deep lagoons.

6. FEEDING
The juveniles feed on phytoplankton and small zooplankton .
mature fish generally feed on macroplankton including the
larvae of fish and shrimp.
Small groups were seen eating eggs of Cheilio inermis
some plankters such as Sagitta, stomatopods and spionid larvae are
Avoided.

7. ostracod
cladocerans
cheilio inermis
shrimp larvae
fish larvae

9. REPRODUCTION
 Spawning season of the Indian Mackerel is between March and
September in the northern hemisphere.
 It is between September and the following March around Seychelles in
the southern hemisphere.
 Sex differentiation takes place when it is about 12cm.
 Spawning occurs in batches .
 The females lay eggs, and the eggs are fertilized externally.
 The egg are left to develop on their own, and the eggs are not guarded
by the males or females.

10. MIGRATION AND SHOALING BEHAVIOUR
 The mackerel of different size groups move in separate
shoals.
 They move in semicircular or arrow head formations.
 They scatter, when pursued by seerfish but, when the shoals
are chased by sharks or porpoises, the mackerel submerge
with the head downwards .

12. GEAR AND CRAFTS
 In Konkan, north Kanara and south kanara, the chief gears in operation are
shore seine (Rampani), gill net and cast net (pag).
 The types of fishing boat are Pandi, Hodi and Dhoni .
 In Kerala boat seines (Odam vala, Paithua vala) Ayilakollivala,Thattumvala,
Nonvala) shore seines (Karavala) and gill nets (Ayilachalavala) are
operated with the help of dugout canoes.

13.  In Tamil Nadu, masula boats, Tuticorin type of boats, canoes and
catamarans are chiefly used for operating different types of shore
seines, boat seines, bag nets and gill nets.
 In Andhra and Orissa more or less similar types of gear are used as
is in Tamil Nadu, with masula boats, plank built boats and
catamarans.

14. cast net
rampani net
gill netting
bag net

15. CONSERVATION STATUS
Data Deficient
(DD)

16. CONSERVATION ACTIONS
 Better reporting is needed to determine species specific landings if
possible.
 monitoring of this species is needed on the national level.

17. REFERENCE
 https://www.roysfarm.com/indian-mackerel-fish/
 https://indiaagronet.com/indiaagronet/Fisheries/Contents/indian_mackerel_fishery.htm
#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20pelagic%20shoaling,between%20Cape%20Comorine%20a
nd%20Ratnagiri
 https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Rastrelliger-kanagurta.html
 http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/5554/
 https://marinelifeindia.wordpress.com/2013/12/30/feeding-party-indian-mackerel-
rastrelliger-kanagurta-cuvier-1816-foraging-together/

18. THANK YOU..