jack mackerel

noun

Definition of jack mackerel

: any of several medium to large food and sport fishes (genus Trachurus): such as

a : a fish of the northern Pacific Ocean (Trachurus symmetricus) that is iridescent green or bluish above and silvery below

b : a fish of the southern Pacific Ocean (Trachurus murphyi) that was formerly considered a subspecies (T. symmetricus murphyi) of the northern Pacific jack mackerel

c : a fish (Trachurus novaezelandiae) of Australian and New Zealand waters that has a yellow tail fin

Recent Examples of jack mackerel from the Web

In the northern Pacific, for example, the preferred habitat of two commercial species, jack mackerel and canary rockfish, could nearly double in size.

— david malakoff, Science | AAAS, "Warming seas may scramble North America’s fishing industry," 16 May 2018
In their place were warmer water fish like jack mackerel and pompano, and a small plankton-eating creature called a pyrozome.

— bill monroe, OregonLive.com, "Trout fishing event Saturday in Gresham is free; bring kids," 17 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'jack mackerel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.