A mackerel has a spindly body, narrow on top of its head, and growing wider towards the middle and narrowing again at the tail. The tail flipper is extended at both sides and is deeply indented and it has smaller and smaller scales toward the tail. Its back is greenish-brown with dark vertical lines. The sides are pearly and the belly is white.

A mackerel in the Adriatic grows only 50 cm and weighs about 1 kilogram. Its average measurements are 15-20 cm of length and 0.7 kg in weight.

Mackerels in the Atlantic ocean grow up to 3 kg and, according to calculations, live 15 years. It inhabits the Atlantic ocean from the Canari islands to Norway, as well as in the Baltic sea and the Mediteranian and Adriatic seas. It also does inhabit the West Coast of the USA and could be found in the Pacific.

Even though it disappeared in the 90's, it has recently reapeared and plays an important role in the Adriatic sea and region.