Catching and Cooking Mackerel
Grandson Kristian lands his first Mackerel The Spanish mackerel the Spotted mackerel and the School mackerel are probably the most popular of the mackerel species in Australia and a very popular sport fish. The Spanish mackerel can be mistaken for wahoo, but can be distinguished by the shorter dorsal fin with less (15-18) dorsal spines and the external bone and upper jaw which both extend to just behind the eye. Smaller Spanish mackerel may also be confused for other mackerel species such as slimy mackerel. They are blue to grey on their dorsal side (back) with many narrow vertical bands along their sides and a grey-silver colour on their belly. The Spotted Mackerel is easily identified with four rows of large black spots over its sides. The School mackerel is the smallest of mackerel caught along the coast. They have two or three rows of large dark blotches, with a white patch on the dorsal fin. They are great fighters with excessive speeds in the water.