Rough Scad
Rough scad are a schooling pelagic jack native to Argentina's continental shelf, where they range from the surface down to around 200 meters.
Commercially they're caught as bycatch in pelagic trawl fisheries and discarded, but inshore they turn up in surf and nearshore waters along the Buenos Aires coast and are eaten fresh. Not a primary sport target, but a legitimate light-tackle catch.
Scientific Name: Trachurus lathami
Also known as jurel, surel, chicharro garretón, horse mackerel
- Elongated, slightly compressed body; metallic blue-green on the back, silver-white on the lower two-thirds — classic pelagic coloring.
- Distinctive black spot on the upper edge of the gill cover; dark margins on the dorsal and caudal fins, all other fins pale.
- Large eyes with a fatty eyelid; well-developed scutes (bony plates) along the rear portion of the lateral line — the feature that gives the species its name.
- Tops out around 40 cm and roughly 500 g; most fish run closer to 30 cm.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to the western Atlantic; reaches northern Argentina at the southern edge of its range, roughly to 37°S on the Patagonian shelf.
- A continental shelf species — found from the surf zone down to about 200 m, typically in open water over the shelf rather than in estuaries or freshwater.
- Adults school in midwater over the shelf; juveniles are known to associate with jellyfish in nearshore waters.
- Shares shelf waters with other carangids and pelagic species along the Buenos Aires and northern Patagonian coast.
Key Locations
- Argentine continental shelf — the species' core habitat in Argentine waters, where commercial pelagic fleets encounter them regularly.
- Buenos Aires province coast — nearshore and surf-zone waters where juveniles and smaller adults appear inshore.
Specific Spots
- Schools roam open water over the shelf, so finding bait concentrations or working current lines and upwellings puts you in the right neighborhood.
- Nearshore, look for them around reef structure and rocky outcrops where small invertebrates and baitfish concentrate.
- Juveniles turn up in the surf zone and very shallow coastal water, especially when jellyfish are present.
Rough Scad FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Rough Scad?
Sabiki rigs tipped with small pieces of squid or fish flesh are the go-to for catching rough scad in numbers, they're widely used across the Argentine coast for this type of schooling pelagic.
How do you catch Rough Scad?
Rough scad are not a primary sport target in Argentina, but nearshore anglers fishing from shore or small boats along the Buenos Aires coast pick them up on light spinning gear with sabiki rigs or small jigs. Working current lines and areas with visible bait activity gives the best results.
What do Rough Scad eat?
Adults feed mainly on small invertebrates, zooplankton, small crustaceans, and similar prey, which makes small soft plastics, tiny jigs, and sabiki-style rigs the most practical conventional options.
Where do Rough Scad live?
Native to the western Atlantic; reaches northern Argentina at the southern edge of its range, roughly to 37°S on the Patagonian shelf. A continental shelf species, found from the surf zone down to about 200 m, typically in open water over the shelf rather than in estuaries or freshwater.
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