Mackerel Scad

The largest mackerel scad recorded was 46 cm long. Their elongated bodies look somewhat circular when viewed head on. They are distinguishable by a small, detached fin, located between the dorsal and caudal fins. Mackerel scad have 9 spines and 31–36 rays on their dorsal fins, while there are seven spines and 27–30 rays on their anal fins.

The mackerel scad's fins are black metallic to blue-green and its belly is white. The edge of the operculum has a small, black spot, with no spots on the lateral line. Mackerel scad's caudal fins have been described as reddish to yellow-green.

The mackerel scad's range covers most of the world's oceans. In the western Atlantic, they have been found off Nova Scotia and Bermuda, south to Rio de Janeiro, although they do not seem common in the Gulf of Mexico. In the eastern Atlantic, mackerel scad have been found off St. Helena, Ascension Island, and Cape Verde. They have also been recorded in the Gulf of Guinea, The Azores, and Madeira. In the Indian Ocean, mackerel scad have been found in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden they are also known from South Africa, the Mascarenes, the Seychelles, and Sri Lanka. In the eastern Pacific, they are known from the Revillagigedo Islands, the Gulf of California, and the coast of Ecuador.

This species is often used as food in many communities on islands nations around the western Pacific. It is significant for its use in preparing the Japanese snack kusaya, a traditional product of the Izu Islands. Filipino students near Calasiao have also created a twist on the lumpiang shanghai dish by mixing shredded mackerel scad and ginisang munggo. The two ingredients are combined with a mixture of minced onions, garlic, julienned carrots and papaya, thereafter placed inside spring roll wrappers and deep fried. Additionally, the Davao City dish paksiw na takway is sometimes made with ground mackerel scad. Pinaasakan sada or sada pinarasakan is a boiled, stir-fry dish of mackerel scad popular among the Dusun people of Sabah, in northern Malaysia.