One of my favorite fishy memories is not of eating fish or catching fish but dissecting fish. It was with a group of students in San Diego and the fish we were dissecting were mackerel — a particularly perfect species for learning about some of the incredible adaptations of fish.
After a brief explanation of what we were going to do, including that it might be messy and stinky and that students were allowed to leave if they felt uncomfortable, we grouped them into combinations that included at least one brave student and passed out a fish and a set of tools all placed on a dissecting tray.
We looked at their frilly red gills, designed to pull lots of oxygen from the water to power their speedy swimming; their beautiful, almost leopard-like scale patterns, designed to perfectly camouflage among the rippling light shining through the water; their many sets of fins and finlets, all with specific purposes for steering, power and speed; and then, my favorite part — the swim bladder. This was the part of the operation that required the utmost care — working with sharp tools around what is essentially a thin balloon but is colored the same pinkish red as the surrounding organs and often fairly slippery as well.
But when a group would successfully find it, there was great excitement and then a crowd around to see the shiny, inflated organ that inflates and deflates to lift the fish up and down in the water column still intact.
A handful of years later, I was doing the same thing with a group of students in Maine but with Atlantic mackerel rather than Pacific. On a recent trip to the West Coast, it occurred to me that I had never explored the differences between the two species. One thing I did know, however, was that neither is particularly highly valued — part of the reason they are both good choices for dissection.
In Maine, mackerel are often used for bait. Their oily flesh, part of the reason they aren’t favored by many people to eat, is exactly what makes them good at attracting things like lobster. Not only is the oil highly pungent but it is also persistent, making them a long-lasting bait option.
Aside from their oily flesh, you’re not likely to see mackerel on most menus because that oiliness causes the flesh to take on a rancid taste very shortly after they die. However, if you have the opportunity to eat freshly harvested and cooked mackerel, it is well worthwhile. They are delicious fried or grilled and were part of a traditional New England fishermen’s breakfast served with eggs and toast. I don’t know if this is true on the West Coast as well, but I imagine it is likely to be since Pacific mackerel are typically a little smaller and therefore might be easier to fry up for breakfast.
Aside from size, Atlantic and Pacific mackerel are remarkably similar. There is a small difference in their coloration with Pacific fish having some blotches on their bellies that are lacking the Atlantic fish. While both of these species are not prized in the seafood world, there is a type that is found in Florida that is highly prized as a sushi-grade fish. The cero mackerel is found in the Florida keys and is larger than the Pacific and Atlantic mackerel. It is used for tropical ceviches and also in sashimi.
As we head into summer, mackerel are a fun fish to catch in coastal waters and are worth trying to cook up if you’ve never tried it, rather than relegating them to be used as bait. It’s also worth taking some time to look closely at them if you’re lucky enough to catch one — even if you’re not up for dissection.
Susan Olcott is director of strategic initiatives for Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association.
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