Cero (fish)

The cero (Scomberomorus regalis), also known as the pintado,^{[citation needed]} kingfish,^[4] cero mackerel, cerite or painted mackerel, is a ray-finned bony fish in the family Scombridae, better known as the mackerel family. More specifically, this fish is a member of the tribe Scomberomorini, the Spanish mackerels, and is the type species of the genus Scomberomorus. It is similar in appearance and coloration to the Atlantic Spanish mackerel, Scomberomorus maculatus, except the cero has a longitudinal stripe in addition to the spots of the Atlantic Spanish mackerel.

Cero
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Scombriformes
Family:	Scombridae
Tribe:	Scomberomorini
Genus:	Scomberomorus
Species:	S. regalis
Binomial name
Scomberomorus regalis (Bloch, 1793)
Synonyms[2][3]
Scomberomorus plumierii Lacepède, 1801 Scomber regalis Bloch, 1793 Cybium regale (Bloch, 1793)

Additionally, the cero reaches larger sizes than the Atlantic Spanish mackerel, often 10 lb (4.5 kg) or more, but those over 30 lb (14 kg) are extremely rare. The first dorsal fin is black anteriorly, the lateral line descends slowly from the shoulder without the sharp break seen on the king mackerel, Scomberomorus cavalla.

It is found in the western Atlantic from Cape Cod through the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.^[1]

See also

• Mackerel as food