Shark Mackerel (species: Grammatorcynus bicarinatus) in Lizard Island Field Guide (Lizard Island Field Guide)
Grammatorcynus bicarinatus
Shark Mackerel


©Anne Hoggett: Shark Mackerel at Snake Pit near Lizard Island

©Andy Lewis: Shark Mackerel at Lizard Island.

©Anne Hoggett: Shark Mackerel at Hicks Reef near Lizard Island. Note the greenish mottling on upper side, the double lateral line and relative size of the eye.
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Actinopterygii
Order Perciformes
Family Scombridae
Genus Grammatorcynus
Species Grammatorcynus bicarinatus
Status unspecified

Colours

         

Distinguishing features

A silvery mackerel with blue/green tinge on upper side, up to about 1 m long in the Lizard Island area although reported to 130 cm elsewhere. A double lateral line, the upper one running straight from gill cover to tail, the other splitting from it behind the pectoral fin and plunging steeply towards the lower side, running along belly and joining the first near the tail. A small eye, only 3 to 4% of fork length.

Size

  • Up to 112 cm (Length of specimen)

Depth range

  • Depth range data is not yet available.

Synonyms

Similar taxa

Distribution


©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution

Local abundance

  • Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia: This is probably the most common mackerel in the Lizard Island area.

Web resources

References

References that assist with identification

  • Randall, J.E., G.R. Allen and R.C. Steene (1990). Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Other references

  • Bott, N.J. and T.H. Cribb (2005). Grammatorcynicola n. g. (Bucephalidae: Dolichoenterinae) from Grammatorcynus sp(p). (Scombridae) from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Systematic Parasitology, 61: 93-98. LIRS catalog number 1008.
  • Bray, R.A. and T.H. Cribb (2008). Stephanostomum sp(p). (Digenea: Acanthocolpidae) from scombrids and carangids (Perciformes) from the Great Barrier Reef, with the description of two new species, Revisita Mexicana de Bidiversidad, 79: 49S-68S. LIRS catalog number 1151.
  • View all references