Record-sized mackerel, Rastrelliger kanagurta caught from Karwar waters on the west coast of India

Abstract

The largest mackerel ever caught from Karvar waters or for that matter the largest mackerel so far caught from the Indian waters measured 421 mm in total length and weighed 859 g in fresh condition. This female specimen was caught in purse seine from a depth of 70 meters off Karwar (west of the light house) on 19th August 1999. Two days earlier, on 17th August 1999, another comparatively smaller specimen, measuring347mm in total length and weighing 524 g. was landed by another purseiner. Thus the present specimen has broken all the earlier records (Table 1) in total length and weight. The fully grown female specimens had turgid ovaries. The well developed ovaries with fully packed ova indicate that even at such size mackeml spawns in. the nature. Every year at the begining of the "mackerel season" it is customary to observe larger adults in the catches