Fish with one of the charter boat fishing guides of Lee County Professional Guides
Association for Florida flyfishing or light tackle fishing for Snook, Tarpon, Trout, or
Redfish on the flats and backcountry of Sanibel, Captiva, Pine Island Sound, Boca Grande,
and Ft. Myers, FL.Fish with one of the charter boat fishing guides of Lee County Professional Guides
Association for Florida flyfishing or light tackle fishing for Snook, Tarpon, Trout, or
Redfish on the flats and backcountry of Sanibel, Captiva, Pine Island Sound, Boca Grande,
and Ft. Myers, FL.Identify a fish caught in florida: bonefish, flounder, jacks, pompano, sharks, snook, herring, 
dolphin, tarpon, spadefish, grunts, billfish, marlins, mackerel, snapper, mullet, bluefish, cobia, drum, 
tuna, bass, sea bass, grouper, porgies, hammerhead, swordfish, troutView tide charts for the Sanibel / Captiva area for fishingrules.gif (1693 bytes)View the local weatherGo to the secure members only area

Family Scombridae, MACKERELS and TUNAS

Cero | King Mackerel | Spanish Mackerel


Cero (Scomberomorous regalis)
Description:  color of back iridescent bluish green; sides silvery; yellow spots forming lines above and below a bronze stripe from pectoral fin to base of the tail; front of first dorsal is bluish black; lateral line curves gradually to base of caudal fin.

Similar fish: Spanish mackerel, S. maculatus; king mackerel, S. cavalla (only the cero has the yellow-brown stripes from pectoral to caudal fin).

cero.jpg (3500 bytes)
Where found:  NEARSHORE and OFFSHORE fish occurring mainly in south Florida, especially over coral reefs and wrecks.

Size:   common to 5 pounds.

Remarks:  unlike other mackerels, does not stray far from south Florida waters; spawns OFFSHORE in midsummer; feeds on small fish and squid.

Top | Index | LCPGA Home

King Mackerel (Scomberomorous cavalla)
Description: color of back iridescent bluish green, sides silvery; streamlined body with tapered head; no black pigment on front of the first dorsal fin; lateral line starts high and drops sharply below the second dorsal fin; young fish often have yellowish spots like those of Spanish mackerel.

Similar fish:   cero, S. regalis; Spanish mackerel, S. maculatus.

kingmackerel.jpg (3299 bytes)
Where found:  NEARSHORE and OFFSHORE; occasionally taken from piers running into deepwater.

Size:  common to 20 pounds.

Remarks:  schooling fish that migrates from south Florida waters in winter to more northerly waters in spring; Gulf population thought to be separate from Atlantic population, with considerable mixing in winter from Cape Canaveral past Key West; spawns in midsummer OFFSHORE; feeds on small fish and squid.

Top | Index | LCPGA Home

Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorous maculatus)
Description: color of back green, shading to silver on sides, golden yellow irregular spots above and below lateral line; front of dorsal fin black; lateral line curves gently to base of tail.

Similar fish:   cero, S. regalis; king mackerel, S. cavalla.

spanishmackerel.jpg (3222 bytes)
Where found:  INSHORE, NEARSHORE, and OFFSHORE, especially over deep grass beds and reefs; absent from north Florida waters in winter.

Size: average catch less than 2 pounds (20 inches).

Remarks:  schooling fish that migrates northward in spring returning to southerly waters when water temperatures drop below about 70 degrees Fahrenheit; spawns OFFSHORE, spring through summer; feeds on small fish and squid.

Top | Index | LCPGA Home

This page last updated Friday, August 04, 2006 11:17:14.
For questions or concerns, kindly email webmaster@fishsanibel.com.