Japanese Spanish mackerel
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Scombriformes
Family:	Scombridae
Genus:	Scomberomorus
Species:	S. niphonius
Binomial name
Scomberomorus niphonius (Cuvier, 1832)
Synonyms
Cybium niphonium Cuvier, 1832 Sawara niphonia (Cuvier, 1832) Cybium gracile Günther, 1873

The Japanese Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius), also known as the Japanese seer fish, is a species of true mackerel in the scombrid family (Scombridae).^[2] Their maximum reported length is 100 cm, and the maximum reported weight is 10.57 kg.^[3]

Fisheries

Japanese Spanish mackerel is an important species for fisheries in east Asia. South Korea is the country reporting the biggest annual catches, followed by Japan and Taiwan. These added to a relatively modest total catch of about 56,000 tonnes in 2009. However, China reports very large catches of unidentified seer fish (Scomberomorus spp., fluctuating around 400,000 tonnes in 2000–2009), without reporting catches of any single Scomberomorus species.^[4] It is likely that these catches include a significant proportion of Japanese Spanish mackerel.

Capture of Japanese Spanish mackerel in tonnes from 1950 to 2009 [5] Japanese Spanish mackerel on sale in Yuhuan, China

As food

Japanese Spanish mackerel is commonly served grilled or pan-fried in Korea as samchi-gui (food). Japanese Spanish mackerel is often served as sushi, under the Japanese name sawara (鰆, サワラ).

Notes

References