greenback horse mackerel

Trachurus declivis

Carangid Fish of the Pacific Ocean

Blue
Green
Temperate
Southern Hemisphere
Regional distribution
Pacific Ocean
Oceania
Fusiform
Large
Temperate fish

The greenback horse mackerel or greenback scad (Trachurus declivis) is a species of jack in the family Carangidae, found around western and southern Australia, and around New Zealand, from the surface to depths of 460 m. Its length is up to 64 cm. Its common name derives from the legend that other smaller species of fish could ride on its back over great distances.

Class: Teleosts
Order: Jacks, Flatfishes, Barracudas, and Allies
Family: Carangidae
Genus: Trachurus
Maximum length: 64 cm
Body shape: fusiform
Distribution: Southwest Pacific: Western Australia to New South Wales, including New Zealand. Principal component analysis of morphometric and meristic characters indicates three separate subpopulations in the Great Australian Bight, off New South Wales, and off Tasmania (Ref. 7456 ).
Conservation status: LCLeast Concern

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