The horse mackerel is a fish of the trachuridae family. The body type of the horse mackerel, which is flat and long from the sides, has the feature of extending forward. Its eyes are large and its teeth are fine. The fish with a forked tail has a short first dorsal fin but higher than the second dorsal fin. The second dorsal and anal fin descends and elongates towards the tail. The underside of the fish is silver tones, the back is gray and brown, and the sides are between blue and green. The lateral line of the horse mackerel is very distinctive and makes it easy to distinguish from similar fish. The average length of horse mackerel fish is 20 centimeters. It has large size 60 to 80 stamps on it. There is one black spot on their fins.
When to catch a horse mackerel?
The largest horse mackerel kept in our country weighs 9 kilos and 200 grams and was caught in the Sea of Marmara. Horse mackerel is caught in the Black Sea in the spring and comes to the Marmara Sea in the autumn. The smallest of the horse mackerel is called karaça.
The horse mackerel, which reaches the appropriate size in November and February, is most delicious in these two months. However, it is possible to hunt horse mackerel during the summer season, especially in the Black Sea and the Bosphorus.
What are the types of horse mackerel?
There are only a few species of horse mackerel in our country, of which there are about 15 species in the world's seas. The species known as Black Goose horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) is the Marmara fish. Yellowfin horse mackerel (Trachurus mediterraneus) lives in the Black Sea during the summer and migrates to Istanbul in November. Yellowfin horse mackerel, which is mostly hunted in Tekirdağ, can reach 50 cm in size.
Blue horse mackerel (Trachurus picturatus) is a type of horse mackerel seen in the Aegean. This species, which does not go to the Marmara Sea, can reach a maximum size of 25 cm.
Known species of horse mackerel:
Pacific horse mackerel (Trachurus symmetricus)
Yellowtail horse mackerel (Trachurus mediterraneus)
Black-eyed horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus)
Cape horse mackerel (Trachurus capensis)
Blue horse mackerel (Trachurus picturatus)
Green-backed horse mackerel (Trachurus declivis)
Arabian horse mackerel (Trachurus indicus)
African horse mackerel (Trachurus delagoa)
Japanese horse mackerel (Trachurus japonicus)
Trachurus lathami
Trachurus longimanus
Aleevi of Trachurus
Trachurus trecae
Trachurus murphyi
Trachurus novaezelandiae
How to Hold a Horse Horse?
Because it roams in herds, it is hunted abundantly during the hunting season, especially in winter. Horse mackerel is the first thing that people who start fishing in Istanbul encounter. On the Marmara and Black Sea coasts, it is possible to keep horse mackerel anywhere that reaches a depth of 3-5 meters. It can also be caught very easily with a small boat at a depth of 15-20 meters by using horse mackerel. The best times for horse mackerel fishing are between 5 and 9 in the morning.
The horse mackerel is a fish that can be caught in all weather conditions. Using heavy lead when the sea is choppy will increase your chances of catching horse mackerel. When the sea is calm, it is better to use light lead.
The Benefits of Horse mackerel:
The horse mackerel is inexpensive at any time of the year because it is easy to catch. For this reason, it is among the most consumed fish species among the people. Horse mackerel is among the delicious fish varieties consumed in almost every region of our country. Horse mackerel, which is very beneficial for health, is a fish rich in vitamin values. Horse mackerel contains mainly vitamins B12, B2, B6, C and A.
The horse mackerel supports the immune system, improves metabolism, strengthens memory, is good for the nervous system and helps regulate hormonal balance.
Nutrition Habits
Mass mackerel especially mumuka, anchovy, sprat. The offspring of horse mackerel feed on plankton.
Reproductive Habits
The horse mackerel generally reaches reproductive maturity after two years of age. The breeding season of these fish is between April and August for yellowtail and yellowfin horse mackerel, and between March and July for bream mackerel. Eggs and larvae of horse mackerel are pelagic.
