THE MACKERELS 



NEXT to the herrings, the mackerels 

 are the most important food-fishes of 

 the Atlantic coast waters, and yield 

 not only an ample income, although 

 an extremely variable one, to the market fisher- 

 men, but exciting sport to the rod-and-line angler 

 who essays them with fly, spinner, or natural 

 bait. 



In the world's waters there are about twelve 

 genera and sixty species of mackerel, or more 

 properly " mackerel-like fishes," but it is our 

 province to treat only of the family Scombridce, 

 particularly those fishes included in it that visit 

 the shores of New England and the Canadian 

 coast. Of these, the common mackerel and the 

 chub mackerel are the most important, although 

 the frigate mackerel, two species of tunnies, the 

 bonito, the Spanish mackerel, and the kingfish or 

 cero (S comber omorus cavalld) are occasional visitors 

 to our coast as far north as Cape Cod. 



The common mackerel [Scomber scombrus, from 

 the Greek, scomber, that being the ancient name 

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