Common Mackerel 



the mackerel. Other fish-enemies are the bluefish and cod. Por- 

 poises and whales are often seen feeding on the mackerel schools. 

 Large squid do great damage to small mackerel and, among 

 birds, the gannet is especially destructive. 



As a food-fish, the mackerel is one of the best and most 

 valuable. On our coast the vessel fishery is carried on chiefly 

 from Gloucester. The vessels go south in the early spring, fall- 

 ing in with the fish when they first appear off our southern coast, 

 and landing their catch fresh at Philadelphia and New York. The 

 fleet next seeks the school off the southern shore of Nova Scotia 

 and follows it to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Most of the fall fish- 

 ing is done on the New England shore. Some of the finest fish- 

 ing vessels in the United States are engaged in this fishery. In 

 recent years the fleet has numbered 150 to 225 vessels, but for- 

 merly nearly 1,000 were engaged in this business. 



The shore and boat fishing is carried on from New Jersey 

 to Maine, the catch being usually sold fresh. 



The local mackerel has so fallen off in recent years that the 

 catch does not supply the home demand, and large quantities 

 are received, both fresh and salt, from Norway, Ireland, and the 

 British provinces. 



The United States Fish Commission has undertaken the arti- 

 ficial propagation of the mackerel, but the results have not yet 

 been satisfactory. In 1896, 24,000,000 eggs were collected, but 

 only a small percentage hatched. The mackerel egg is exceed- 

 ingly small, it being only -^ of an inch in diameter. The eggs 

 average about 40,000 to the fish, but 200,000 have been taken 

 from i fish. The largest mackerel would doubtless produce 

 1,000,000 eggs each. The period of incubation is about 5 days 

 in water at 58. 



Small mackerel are known among fishermen as "spikes," 

 "blinkers," and "tinkers." Spikes are the smallest caught by the 

 commercial fishermen, they being 5 or 6 inches long and 5 to 7 

 months old, or younger. Tinkers are under 9 inches in length and 

 are supposed to be about 2 years old. Blinkers are intermediate in 

 size and age. Maturity is probably attained in the fourth year. 



The common mackerel is so well known as to render a 

 detailed description unnecessary. 



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