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help me identify a fish i caught last night

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  • 11-09-2013 7:07pm
    #1
    12barblues
    Registered Users Posts: 38 ✭


    hi there, first post here
    I was fishing for mackerel last night in Galway along the prom. Lots and lots of people about catching loads of fish by the looks of it. For every mackerel I caught i was catching at least one of the, as yet, unidentified fish. Unfortunately I don't have a picture as I didn't have a camera with me and I threw them all back.

    Anyway, they were about the length of a mackerel with a similar shape tail, a bit thinner around the middle. They're eyes are a bit bigger. The most obvious feature was the spikes! two sharp, hard, spikes on the underside towards the tail and a hard ridge along the sides of the tail. Light silvery colour.

    I've searched on google and couldn't find one like it in any of the irish sea fish species sites I looked at. I know that it's not pollack, wrasse, bass or mullet.

    Any help identifying them would be great. It's wrecking my head!

    Thanks


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    #2
    Silent Runner
    Registered Users Posts: 180 ✭✭Silent Runner


    Scad?

    http://irish-trophy-fish.com/irish-record-fish/marine-species/scad-trachurus-trachurus/


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    #3
    12barblues
    Registered Users Posts: 38 ✭12barblues


    eureka! thats the one
    thanks for that

    any idea if the make good eating?


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    #4
    syboit
    Registered Users Posts: 2,171 ✭✭✭syboit


    12barblues wrote: »
    eureka! thats the one
    thanks for that

    any idea if the make good eating?

    yup, supposed to be as nice or nicer than mackerel


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    #5
    johnner1
    Registered Users Posts: 245 ✭✭johnner1


    Scad, very popular eating fish in spain.


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    #6
    dodderangler
    Registered Users Posts: 9,204 ✭✭✭dodderangler


    Part of the same family though aren't they. Think they are called mackerel scad.
    I've caught them before aswell.


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    #7
    Zzippy
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 14,166 Mod ✭✭✭✭Zzippy


    Also called horse mackerel. Very good eating, and makes very good sushi apparently. Pretty unusual to get them so close to shore...


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    #8
    pullandbang
    Hosted Moderators Posts: 4,948 ✭✭✭pullandbang


    Bet you're raging you threw them all back now!


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    #9
    dmc17
    Registered Users Posts: 3,726 ✭✭✭dmc17


    dodderangler wrote: »
    Part of the same family though aren't they. Think they are called mackerel scad.
    I've caught them before aswell.

    According to this:
    "Scad is a shoaling species which is found all around the UK. They are not actually related to mackerel despite their alternative name of horse mackerel"

    Caught a load of them myself about 2 years ago when trying to get a few mackerel so they all went back too. Didn't think they would be much good to eat.


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    #10
    monty_python
    Registered Users Posts: 1,671 ✭✭✭monty_python


    Has anyone ever heard that scad can carry toxins?? I was told this after catching and eating 3 of them
    http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackerel_scad

    http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciguatera


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    #11
    viper123
    Registered Users Posts: 519 ✭✭✭viper123


    monty_python wrote: »
    Has anyone ever heard that scad can carry toxins?? I was told this after catching and eating 3 of them
    http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mackerel_scad

    http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciguatera

    That is a issue of all pelagic fish, it is on account of the food chain concentrating various toxins (mercury in tuna/salmon for example). As tuna, mackeral etc. eat smaller fish which in turn eat even smaller fish, vegatation etc, quantities of toxins they become concentrated in larger pelagic species.


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    #12
    SeaFields
    Registered Users Posts: 6,551 ✭✭✭SeaFields


    Zzippy wrote: »
    Also called horse mackerel. Very good eating, and makes very good sushi apparently. Pretty unusual to get them so close to shore...


    we always refered to very large mackerel as horse mackerel and saw scad seperately. we must have been wrong. the scad used turn up after dark close to shore.


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    #13
    syboit
    Registered Users Posts: 2,171 ✭✭✭syboit


    SeaFields wrote: »
    we always refered to very large mackerel as horse mackerel and saw scad seperately. we must have been wrong. the scad used turn up after dark close to shore.

    Yup, had a few in Cobh this year while fishing for mackerel.


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    #14
    monty_python
    Registered Users Posts: 1,671 ✭✭✭monty_python


    viper123 wrote: »
    That is a issue of all pelagic fish, it is on account of the food chain concentrating various toxins (mercury in tuna/salmon for example). As tuna, mackeral etc. eat smaller fish which in turn eat even smaller fish, vegatation etc, quantities of toxins they become concentrated in larger pelagic species.

    So its nothing to be concerned about???


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    #15
    viper123
    Registered Users Posts: 519 ✭✭✭viper123


    monty_python wrote: »
    So its nothing to be concerned about???

    So long as you don't overeat them! Pregnant women are recommended one portion per week, so you can conclude yourself the risks...


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    #16
    tin79
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,270 ✭✭✭tin79


    monty_python wrote: »
    So its nothing to be concerned about???

    It wouldn't be top of my list of things no. Just don't eat tuna too frequently, or farmed salmon for that matter.


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    #17
    Zzippy
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 14,166 Mod ✭✭✭✭Zzippy


    SeaFields wrote: »
    we always refered to very large mackerel as horse mackerel and saw scad seperately. we must have been wrong. the scad used turn up after dark close to shore.

    You're neither wrong nor right - horse mackerel is a generic term used in various places to refer to different species. Scad is the correct term, horse mackerel is a common name also used for scad in these parts...


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    #18
    Budawanny
    Registered Users Posts: 338 ✭✭Budawanny


    and just to add to the mix.. we would have always called Spanish Mackerel horse mackerel :-)


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    #19
    johnner1
    Registered Users Posts: 245 ✭✭johnner1


    Budawanny wrote: »
    and just to add to the mix.. we would have always called Spanish Mackerel horse mackerel :-)

    and where do you be when your catching Spanish mackerel:confused: not looking for your mark, a county/country would do.


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    #20
    Budawanny
    Registered Users Posts: 338 ✭✭Budawanny


    johnner1 wrote: »
    and where do you be when your catching Spanish mackerel:confused: not looking for your mark, a county/country would do.

    ah you get an odd one anywhere in the west.. clew bay we used to get an odd one. but they are just blow ins.. not really common at all compared to your normal mackerel.


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