What is "horse mackerel"

Saurel \Sau"rel\, n. (Zo["o]l.) Any carangoid fish of the genus Trachurus, especially T. trachurus, or T. saurus, of Europe and America, and T. picturatus of California. Called also skipjack, and horse mackerel.

Jurel \Ju"rel\, n. (Zo["o]l.) A yellow carangoid fish of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts ( Caranx chrysos), most abundant southward, where it is valued as a food fish; -- called also hardtail, horse crevall['e], jack, buffalo jack, skipjack, yellow mackerel, and sometimes, improperly, horse mackerel. Other species of Caranx (as Caranx fallax) are also sometimes called jurel.

Tuna \Tu"na\, n. [Cf. Tunny.]

1. (Zo["o]l.) any one of several species of large oceanic fishes belonging to the mackerel family Scombridae, especially the bluefin tuna ( Thunnus thynnus, formerly Orcynus thynnus or Albacora thynnus), called also the common tunny or great tunny, a native of the Mediterranean Sea and of temperate parts of the Atlantic Ocean. It sometimes weighs a thousand pounds or more, and is caught commercially in large quantity for use as food; -- also called, especially in Britain, tunny. It is also one of the favorite fishes used by the Japanese in preparing sushi. On the American coast, especially in New England, it is sometimes called the horse mackerel. Another well-known species is the yellowfin tuna ( Thunnus albacares) of warm seas. the See Illust. of Horse mackerel, under Horse.

   Note: The little tunny ( Gymnosarda alletterata) of the Mediterranean and North Atlantic, and the long-finned tunny, or albacore ( Thunnus alalunga) (see Albacore), are related species of smaller size.

2. The bonito, 2.

3. the meat of the tuna, used as food; -- also called tuna fish.

Tunny \Tun"ny\ (t[u^]n"n[y^]), n.; pl. Tunnies. [L. thunnus, thynnus, Gr. qy`nnos, qy^nos: cf. It. tonno, F. & Pr. thon.] (Zo["o]l.) The chiefly British equivalent of tuna; any one of several species of large oceanic fishes belonging to the Mackerel family, especially the common or great tunny ( Thunnus thynnus syn. Albacora thynnus, formerly Orcynus thynnus) native of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It sometimes weighs a thousand pounds or more, and is extensively caught in the Mediterranean. On the American coast it is called horse mackerel. See Illust. of Horse mackerel, under Horse. [Written also thynny.]

Note: The little tunny ( Gymnosarda alletterata) of the Mediterranean and North Atlantic, and the long-finned tunny, or albicore ( Thunnus alalunga, see Albacore), are related species of smaller size.

Albacore \Al"ba*core\, n. (Zo["o]l.) A name applied to several large fishes of the Mackerel family ( Scombridae), esp. Thunnus alalunga (formerly Orcynus alalonga); it is a type of tuna or tunny. The name has been also applied to a larger related species, Thunnus thynnus (formerly Orcynus thynnus), common in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, which is called in New England the horse mackerel. [formerly spelled albicore.]

Bluefish \Blue"fish`\, n. (Zo["o]l.)

1. A large voracious fish ( Pomatomus saitatrix), of the family Carangid[ae], valued as a food fish, and widely distributed on the American coast. On the New Jersey and Rhode Island coast it is called the horse mackerel, in Virginia saltwater tailor, or skipjack.

2. A West Indian fish ( Platyglossus radiatus), of the family Labrid[ae].

   Note: The name is applied locally to other species of fishes; as the cunner, sea bass, squeteague, etc.

n. 1 Any of several large fish: 2 # The (vern: Australian bonito) ((taxlink Sarda australis species noshow=1)) 3 # The pilot fish ((taxlink Naucrates ductor species noshow=1)) 4 # The jack mackerel (genus ''Trachurus'').

1. n. largest tuna; to 1500 pounds; of mostly temperate seas: feed in polar regions but breed in tropics [syn: bluefin, bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus]

2. large elongated compressed food fish of the Atlantic waters of Europe [syn: saurel, Trachurus trachurus]

3. a California food fish [syn: jack mackerel, Spanish mackerel, saurel, Trachurus symmetricus]

Horse mackerel is a vague vernacular term for a range of species of fish throughout the English-speaking world. It is commonly applied to pelagic fishes, especially of the Carangidae (jack mackerels and scads) family, most commonly those of the genera Trachurus or Caranx. Species known as "horse mackerel" in one English dialect or another include:

• Alectis indicus, Indian threadfish (Malaysia)
• Caranx crysos, blue runner (Guadaloupe, Martinique)
• Caranx hippos, Crevalle jack (Guyana, India)
• Megalaspis cordyla, torpedo scad (India)
• Naucrates ductor, pilot fish
• Sarda australis, Australian bonito (Australia)
• various saurel of the Pacific coast of the Americas
• Selar crumenophthalmus, bigeye (India)
• Trachurus capensis, cape horse mackerel (South Africa)
• Trachurus declivis, greenback horse mackerel (Australia)
• Trachurus japonicus, Japanese horse mackerel (Japan)
• Trachurus novaezelandiae, yellowtail horse mackerel (New Zealand)
• Trachurus trachurus, Atlantic horse mackerel (United Kingdom, Ireland)