pacific jack mackerel
Trachurus symmetricus
Jack mackerel from large schools in the open sea of the eastern Pacific, from Mexico to Ecuador. It reaches 81 cm and is sold fresh, smoked, canned and frozen.
Also called: xixarro-do-pacífico, chicharro, pacific jack mackerel
- maximum
- 81 cm
- depth
- 0–400 m
who is the pacific jack mackerel
A fish of the family Carangidae, with a spindle-shaped body, forming large schools in the open sea up to 500 miles from the coast. Juveniles stay near kelp and piers. It reaches 81 cm total length, and its common size is 55 cm. It can live to 30 years of age. It feeds on small crustaceans and fish larvae. Large individuals move closer to the coast and head north in summer. It is commercially fished and is also a sport fish.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the pacific jack mackerel.
fun facts
- It can live to 30 years of age.
identification
A spindle-shaped schooling fish, typical of jack mackerels, reaching 81 cm. Small individuals may have an extra spine pointing forward at the origin of the first dorsal fin. To tell it apart from smaller coastal jacks and jack mackerels, size and the habit of forming large schools in open sea, far from shore, are useful.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Found in the eastern Pacific, in Mexico, Nicaragua and Ecuador, with records at Acapulco and the Galápagos. The species lives from southeastern Alaska to southern Baja California.
Habitat: Open sea, 0 to 400 m; juveniles stay near kelp and piers.
rules for the pacific jack mackerel
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
No danger to anglers. A schooling fish: release it quickly.
in the kitchen
It is sold fresh, smoked, canned and frozen, and is prepared fried, grilled or baked.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00955, b = 2.96; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Trachurus symmetricus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Trachurus symmetricusNames by country and language.