Atka mackerel is a fish of the cold North Pacific with four or five broad dark bars across its sides. Despite its name, Atka mackerel belongs to the greenling family rather than the true mackerel family.
Appearance
Appearance
The long body has four or five broad dark bars across its sides.
Where it lives
Typical habitats
Alaskan coastal waters
continental shelf
Range
It is most abundant around the Aleutian Islands and also occurs in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska.
Preferred conditions
It spends much of the year above the seafloor and moves toward shallow coastal water to spawn.
Seasons
In Alaska
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Breeding
Breeding Jul–Oct
Behavior
Diet
Around Alaska, it feeds mainly on tiny drifting crustaceans, including and krill.
Activity
Schools gather in shallow coastal water during the spawning season.
Life cycle
Breeding season
Along the Aleutian Islands, spawning takes place from July through October.
Nest
Females attach eggs in rocky crevices, and males guard them until they hatch.
Connected species
Ties with other wildlife
Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) feed on Atka mackerel in Alaskan waters.