It is a small bullet shaped fish with dark, wavy stripes on its back and a silvery metallic color that shades to white on its belly. In New York, peak harvests of Atlantic mackerel generally occur during the late winter and spring from February to April. Peak harvests in New England occur later from April to June as schools of mackerel move north. Atlantic mackerel are also harvested in the fall. Adult Atlantic mackerel run about 1 to 2 pounds and are usually sold whole.
Atlantic mackerel is a full flavored fish with a higher fat content than most other types of fish.
Spanish mackerel are most abundant from the Gulf of Mexico to Chesapeake Bay and in warm years may migrate as far north as Cape Cod. Spanish mackerel are larger than the Atlantic mackerel, averaging 2 to 4 pounds. Spanish mackerel can generally be recognized by the golden spots that are prominent on its sides and the absence of the characteristic wavy stripes found on Atlantic mackerel. Spanish mackerel tend to be leaner and have a more subtle flavor than Atlantic mackerel. Whole fish, skin-on fillets, and steaks are common market forms for Spanish mackerel.