Know the difference between big Spanish, small kings

Whatever you do, don’t make the mistake of confusing small king mackerel with large Spanish mackerel.

Spanish mackerel are generally smaller than their king mackerel cousins, but the body shape and general physical characteristics are similar to the point they are sometimes confused when kings are small.

The primary times for confusion are spring and early summer, when kings and Spanish of similar size occasionally feed in mixed schools. Both species can have spots along the side of the body, so they are not reliable identifiers. The lateral line, however is a big difference. On Spanish, it begins high on the shoulder and gradually descends to the middle of the body at the tail. On kings, it also begins high on the shoulder but makes a pronounced drop while under the rear dorsal fin and then runs to the middle of the tail. But sometimes, the lateral line isn’t defined enough to make a solid identification.

The difference most Marine Patrol officers use is the black spot Spanish have on the leading edge of their forward dorsal fin. A king mackerel has a dorsal that’s consistently gray along its entire length.

Being able to tell the difference can help you avoid a ticket for having more than the 3-fish daily creel limit or smaller than the 24-inch size minimum (fork length) of king mackerel when you can keep 15 Spanish of 12 inches or longer.