Common name: Atlantic horse mackerel, Blue Mackarel, Cape Horse Mackerel, Common Scad, European Horse Mackerel

Japanese name: ニシマアジ

French common name: Bizet, Cagnassun, Chinchard, Chinchard commun, Chinchard d’Europe, Chinchard du Cap, Chinchard noir

German common name: Bastardmakrele, Holzmakrele

Spanish common name: Chicharro, Chincho, Jurel

Portuguese common name: Carapau, Carapau do Atlântico, Carapau-branco, Carapau-branco, Charro, Chicharro, Garapau, Guaraçuma

Scientific name: Trachurus trachurus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Nigiri sushi detail: Atlantic horse mackerel (Nishimaaji) Nigiri sushi

Characteristics:

Atlantic horse mackerel (Nishimaaji) is distributed along the coast of Europe south of Norway and along the west coast of Africa from the Mediterranean Sea to Senegal. It grows to about 60 cm in length.

Nishimaaji are similar to the Japanese Horse mackerel (Maaji) in terms of ecology, with migratory and schooling populations, and the schooling fish caught in the winter before spawning around the Strait of Dover are the most fatty and are mainly exported to Japan. The majority of exports come from four countries: the Netherlands, Norway, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. The fatty fish is very tasty. Locally, it is distributed as fresh fish and processed into smoked, salted and dried, canned, and fish meal. Exports to Japan are mainly for dried fish. Rarely, it is used as a substitute for Horse mackerel (Maaji) in conveyor-belt sushi