Scomberomorus Lacepède, 1801
Body elongate and compressed. Snout much shorter than rest of head; posterior part of maxilla exposed, not quite reaching to a vertical from hind margin of eye. Jaw teeth large, triangular and compressed. Gillrakers 1-27 on first arch. 2 dorsal fins, the first with 12-22 spines; 6-11 dorsal and 5-12 anal finlets; pectoral fin short, 20-26 rays. Inter-pelvic process small and bifid. Median keel present between the 2 small keels on each side of caudal peduncle. No bony keel on caudal peduncle vertebrae. Swimbladder usually present. Intestine folded or straight. Liver trilobed, left and right lobes longer than middle lobe. No cutaneous artery. Vertebrae 41-56.
Epipelagic, usually in coastal waters. Schooling, some species migratory. Feeding chiefly on small schooling fishes such as clupeoids. Pelagic eggs and larvae.
Species 18; in Clofnam area 2.
Genus divided into 2 subgenera (see synonym field).
Recent revision: Collette and Russo (1978); see also Collette (1983).
Species of this genus in the program:
Scomberomorus commerson
Scomberomorus tritor