Mackerels are a variety of marine fish species, most of which are in the family Scombridae (which also includes the tunas and bonitos). The word “mackerel” does not refer to a specific taxonomic group of fish, but is instead a common name for around 30 different species of fish, many of which are commercially important. All of them have a few physical features in common: iridescent blue-green scales, vertical stripes of some sort, and deeply forked tail fins. They mainly live in pelagic waters, not close to the shore or the seabed but instead in the open water of the high seas.
