Scomberomorus niphonius, Japanese Spanish mackerel : fisheries, aquaculture, gamefish

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Scomberomorus niphonius (Cuvier, 1832)

Japanese Spanish mackerel
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Scomberomorus niphonius   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Scomberomorus niphonius (Japanese Spanish mackerel)
Scomberomorus niphonius
Picture by CAFS

Japan country information

Common names: Sawara, Spotted mackerel
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: scarce (very unlikely) | Ref: Sokolovskaya, T.G., A.S. Sokolovskii and E.I. Sobolevskii, 1998
Importance: commercial | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Reported from southern Japan (Ref. 11230). Also Ref. 168, 9988.
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/ja.html
National Fisheries Authority: http://www.maff.go.jp/eindex.html
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Masuda, H., K. Amaoka, C. Araga, T. Uyeno and T. Yoshino, 1984
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Thazard oriental, Carite oriental, Japanese seerfish, ... more

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Scombriformes (Mackerels) > Scombridae (Mackerels, tunas, bonitos) > Scombrinae
Etymology: Scomberomorus: Latin, scomber = mackerel + Greek, moros = silly, stupid (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Cuvier.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; pelagic-neritic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 200 m (Ref. 54883). Temperate; 45°N - 18°N, 108°E - 143°E (Ref. 54883)

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Northwest Pacific: confined to the subtropical and temperate waters of China, the Yellow Sea and Sea of Japan north to Vladivostok, former USSR. Often confused with Scomberomorus munroi.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 113 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 116934); max. published weight: 8.0 kg (Ref. 116934)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 19 - 21; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15 - 19; Anal soft rays: 16 - 20; Vertebrae: 48 - 50. Interpelvic process small and bifid. Lateral line gradually curving down toward caudal peduncle. The only species in the genus with a straight intestine. Swim bladder absent. Body covered with small scales. Anterior quarter of first dorsal fin and a narrow distal margin of the rest of the dorsal fin black. Sides with seven or more rows of longitudinal spots on the sides; some spots connected together.
Body shape (shape guide): elongated; Cross section: oval.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Found near shore (including semi-enclosed sea areas) (Ref. 11230). Undergoes a spawning migration in spring (March to June) and a feeding migration in fall (September to November) in the Inland Sea of Japan. Feeds on small fishes. Another major fishing gear that is used are set nets. This species is the most important Scomberomorus species in Japan which is cultured and released for fishery. Marketed fresh and especially tasty in winter. Eaten pan-fried, broiled and baked (Ref. 9988).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Collette, Bruce B. | Collaborators

Collette, B.B. and C.E. Nauen, 1983. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 2. Scombrids of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of tunas, mackerels, bonitos and related species known to date. Rome: FAO. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(2):137 p. (Ref. 168)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)

  Near Threatened (NT) (A2bd); Date assessed: 19 October 2022

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes
FAO - Fisheries: landings, species profile; Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items (preys)
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References

Tools

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Special reports

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Fisheries: landings, species profile; Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | National databases | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 13 - 24.5, mean 19.2 °C (based on 181 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00288 (0.00153 - 0.00545), b=3.15 (2.97 - 3.33), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  4.5   ±0.8 se; based on diet studies.
Generation time: 2.1 ( na - na) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 2 growth studies.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.7; Fec>100,000).
Prior r = 0.57, 95% CL = 0.37 - 0.85, Based on 1 data-limited stock assessment.
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Low to moderate vulnerability (34 of 100). 🛈
Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649):  High vulnerability (58 of 100). 🛈
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Very high.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 13.3 [4.9, 52.9] mg/100g; Iron = 0.325 [0.125, 0.917] mg/100g; Protein = 20.6 [19.1, 22.0] %; Omega3 = 0.47 [0.25, 0.94] g/100g; Selenium = 21.4 [6.2, 103.2] μg/100g; VitaminA = 8.35 [1.43, 54.86] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.31 [0.19, 0.53] mg/100g (wet weight); based on nutrient studies.