Distribution:

Eastern Atlantic: Oslo, Norway to Port Elizabeth, South Africa, including the Mediterranean and Black seas. Western Atlantic: Nova Scotia, Canada to Florida, USA and northern Gulf of Mexico; then from Colombia, Venezuela, and south of the Amazon River to northern Argentina; apparently absent from most of the Caribbean Sea.

Diagnosis:

Dorsal spines (total): 20-23; Dorsal softrays (total): 15-18; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft-rays: 14-17; Vertebrates: 50-55. Mouth moderately large. Laminae of olfactory rosette 21-39. Interpelvic process small & bifid. Body completely covered with very small scales posterior to the corselet. Swimbladder absent. Spleen large. Liver with elongate left and right lobe and short middle lobe. Oblique dorsal stripes withe a greater angle than in other species of @Sarda@.

Biology:

Epipelagic, neritic and schooling species that may enter estuaries. Known to be cannibalistic, adults prey on small schooling fishes, invertebrates like squid and shrimps and can swallow relatively large prey. Utilized fresh, dried/salted, smoked, canned and frozen.

Max. size: 91.4 cm

Max.weight: 8,300.0 g

Environment: pelagic; depth range 80 - 200 m

Climate: subtropical; 12 - 27°C; 65°N - 40°S

Canary Islands country information: Name: Sierra