User:Rohan nog/Indian mackerel

The Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) is a species of mackerel, commonly found in the Indian and West Pacific oceans, and their surrounding seas. It is an important food fish and is used in South and South-East Asian cuisine.

Geographical distribution
The Indian mackerel is found in warm shallow waters along the coasts of the Indian and Western Pacific oceans. Its range extends from the Red Sea and East Africa in the west to Indonesia in the east, and from China and the Ryukyu Islands in the north to Australia, Melanesia and Samoa in the south. It has also entered the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal.

Physical description
The body of the Indian mackerel is moderately deep, and the head is longer than the body depth. The maxilla are partly concealed, covered by the lacrimal bone, but extend till around the hind margin of the eye.

These fish have thin dark longtitudinal bands on the upper part of the body, which may be golden on fresh specimens. There is also a black spot on the body near the lower margin of the pectoral fin. Dorsal fins are yellowish with black tips, while the caudal and pectoral fins are yellowish. The remaining fins are dusky.

Indian mackerel reach a maximum fork length of 35 cm, but are generally around 25 cm in length.