Indian mackerel

The Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) or bigmouth mackerel is a species of mackerel in the family Scombridae. It is commonly found in the Indian and West

Pacific oceans, and their surrounding seas. It is an important food fish and is commonly used in South and South-East Asian cuisine. It is known by various names, such as Pelaling in Malaysia, Kembung lelaki in Indonesia, Bangdo (बांगडो) in Konkani language, Bangdi (બાંગડી) in Gujarati, Bangda (बांगडा) in Marathi, Kajol Gouri (কাজল গৌরী) in Bengali, Ayla (അയല, ഐല) in Malayalam, Kankarta (କାନକରତା) in Odia, Kaanankeluthi (காணாங்கெலுத்தி) in Tamil, Kaanagadata(కానగడత) in Telugu, Kumbalawaa (කුම්බලාව) in Sinhala and Bangude (ಬಂಗುಡೆ) in Tulu, and Kannada. It is called alumahan in the Philippines.

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 been reported on two occasions (1967, 2010) in the Mediterranean Sea off Gaza, a likely entry via the Suez Canal.

Behaviour

The Indian mackerel is generally found in shallow, coastal waters, where the surface water temperature is at least 17 °C (63 °F). Adults of this species are found in coastal bays, harbours and deep lagoons. They are commonly found in turbid waters rich in plankton.

Adult Indian mackerel feed on macroplankton including the larvae of shrimp and fish.