International Journal of Marine Science, 2025, Vol.15, No.4, 186-198 http://www.aquapublisher.com/index.php/ijms 187 Traditionally, fishery science has studied the migration routes and population ownership of fish through marking release, catch statistics and ecological surveys. However, these methods often have difficulty accurately characterizing the degree of genetic communication. The development of molecular genetics technology provides a more direct tool for analyzing fish population structure. Since the end of the 20th century, some scholars have begun to use mitochondrial DNA sequence variation and nuclear DNA microsatellite markers to analyze the genetic diversity of mackerel populations (Johnson et al., 2021). Entering the 21st century, with the advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies, it has become possible to conduct population genetic research using genome-wide SNP markers and simplified genome sequencing methods (such as RAD-seq, etc.), allowing us to identify subtle population differentiation at the genome level (Joy et al., 2020). Based on the above background, this study reviews the systematic classification and global distribution pattern of the genus Mackerel, introduces its main species and their respective geographical distribution ranges and ecological habits; summarizes the historical progress of genetic diversity and population structure research, including the early use of genetic markers such as mitochondrial DNA and microsatellites, as well as the application of nuclear genomic SNP and multigenomic technology in recent years. Comparing different seas around the world. 2 System Classification and Geographical Distribution of Mackerel 2.1 The main species of the genus Scomberomorus spp. The genus Scomberomorus belongs to the family Macadae, commonly known as Macadae and Macadae. It is a medium-sized migratory fish species, mainly distributed in the coastal areas of China, Japan and South Korea in the northwest Pacific, and also enters the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea. Broadband Macadae (S. guttatus), distributed in the Indo-Western Pacific, including the South China Sea and Southeast Asia, commonly known as Spot Macadae or Indo-Pacific King Macadae; Pacific Spanish Macadae (S. maculatus) and King Macadae (S. cavalla), distributed along the western Atlantic Ocean; S. brasiliensis, distributed in the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in South America; and some regionally distributed species such as S. semifasciatus in Australia and West African Macadae (S. tritor) etc. In addition, the "Korean mackerel" (S. koreanus) discovered in the Indian Ocean in recent years has been identified as an independent species through morphological and genetic identification, and is distributed along the northern coast of the Indian Ocean (Jeena et al., 2022; Zeng et al., 2022). These species are medium to large (usually 30 cm to more than 1 meter in length), have slender bodies, side flatness, sharp teeth, and have many spots or stripes on their backs. They are fierce predators. Despite the similar appearance, different species have differences in scales, tooth type, spine number and body color patterns, which can be classified and identified. 2.2 Global distribution pattern and ecological habitat environment The genus mackerel mainly lives in the continental shelf and coastal waters around the islands, and is a highly migratory fish. In the Indian Ocean-Western Pacific region, narrow band mackerels are widely distributed, from the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, through the Indian coast to Southeast Asia and the South China Sea, and extending to the Melanesian Islands in northern Australia and the Western Pacific. Japanese mackerel mainly moves in the northwest Pacific Ocean, ranging from the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea to the north, through the East China Sea to the northern part of the South China Sea, and to the coast of Vietnam in the south. Broadband mackerel is common in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea and offshore Southeast Asia (Jeena et al., 2022), and is an important catch in the Gulf of Bengal, the Gulf of Thailand and the Malay Islands (Figure 1). In Atlantic waters, king fish (also known as narrow-tooth mackerel) is distributed in warm waters of the Western Atlantic Ocean, extending from the southeastern coast of the United States and the Gulf of Mexico to southern Brazil; Spanish mackerel (Flower Spot Mackerel) is more common on the Atlantic coast of the United States and the northern Gulf of Mexico; Sierra mackerel is mainly distributed in the Caribbean Sea and northern coast of South America (Cunha et al., 2020). Most species prefer warm sea areas with water temperatures of 20~30℃, and have significant seasonal migration patterns throughout the year: they migrate to higher latitude spawning grounds in summer, and return to lower latitude waters to overwinter in winter.
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