Atlantic Chub Mackerel

The Atlantic chub mackerel is a long, streamlined fish with a deeply forked tail, is all covered with very small fish scale. The first dorsal fin has 9 or 10 spines and is separated from the second dorsal fin by a space at least as long as its base. The origin of the anal fin is directly below or just behind the origin of the second dorsal fin. This fish is silvery in colour, the upper surface has oblique zigzagging lines while the belly is paler and spotted or marked with wavy lines.

The Atlantic chub mackerel is rich in omega-3 and other unsaturated fatty acids. Nutritional data published by Portugal's Docapesca records its fat content at 13.4 grams per 100 grams of edible fish, including 3.7 grams of monounsaturated and 4.7 grams of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Similarly, the source lists approximately 1,218 mg of EPA and 2,128 mg of DHA per 100 grams, giving a combined EPA and DHA content of 3,346 mg. Other omega-3 fats identified in the species include DPA, ALA, SDA and ETA. However, the Atlantic chub mackerel's total fat content can vary substantially by catch season. A year-long study published in 2020 recorded fat contents ranging from 1.3 grams per 100 grams of edible fish in February to 10.3 grams in September, the lowest and highest values observed during the study, respectively.