Chilean Jack Mackerel
Jurel is Chile's most commercially significant pelagic fish — a schooling, open-water species that once supported landings above 4 million metric tonnes annually before overfishing collapsed the stock in the 1990s.
Today, managed under international quotas through the SPRFMO, the fishery is recovering. It's a commercial and artisanal target caught by purse seine and midwater trawl off the Chilean coast, not a recreational gamefish.
Scientific Name: Trachurus murphyi
Also known as Jurel, Inca scad, Peruvian jack mackerel
- Elongated, laterally compressed body with metallic blue-green on the back and silver-white on the belly — classic open-water pelagic coloring.
- Large head with a notably large mouth; transparent adipose eyelid covers the eye, a useful ID feature distinguishing it from other jacks.
- Long, pointed pectoral fins; second dorsal fin noticeably longer than the first; anal fin preceded by two strong spines.
- Common size around 45 cm (18 in); maximum recorded length 70 cm (28 in).
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to the South Pacific — the core Chilean and Peruvian coastal zone is the heart of its range, extending offshore across the high seas to New Zealand and southern Argentina.
- Pelagic and oceanic; typically found between 10 and 70 m depth, though the species can go well below 300 m.
- Off Chile, the fleet works two main zones: northern coastal waters near the border with Peru, and central-south coastal waters around Coronel and Coliumo Bay in the Biobío region.
- Forms large, dense schools — the behavior that made it both commercially attractive and vulnerable to rapid overexploitation.
Key Locations
- Coronel, Biobío region — a central hub for the artisanal and industrial jack mackerel fleet, with processing facilities directly at port.
- Coliumo Bay, Biobío region — home to small-boat artisanal captains who have worked this fishery for generations.
- Northern Chilean coastal waters — one of the two main fishing zones identified in Chilean fleet operations, extending toward the Peruvian border.
Specific Spots
- Schools concentrate in the upper water column (10–70 m) over open ocean and coastal shelf areas where upwelling drives productivity.
- During El Niño events, distribution and abundance shift significantly as water temperatures change, pushing schools offshore or altering depth ranges.
- Coastal artisanal boats like those working out of Coronel and Coliumo Bay target schools detected by sonar in nearshore pelagic water.
Chilean Jack Mackerel FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
When is the best time to fish for Chilean Jack Mackerel?
January through June is the primary commercial fishing season off Chile and Peru, based on fleet operations and export data. El Niño years can compress or shift the season as schools redistribute in response to warmer water anomalies.
How do you catch Chilean Jack Mackerel?
Jurel is taken commercially, not recreationally. Industrial vessels use midwater trawls and purse seines to encircle schools detected by sonar; artisanal boats out of ports like Coronel and Coliumo Bay work smaller coastal purse seines. The catch goes almost entirely to canning and fishmeal processing.
What do Chilean Jack Mackerel eat?
Feeds on zooplankton, small crustaceans, and small fish in the water column, its lower position in the food chain is part of why mercury levels stay low compared to larger predatory species.
Where do Chilean Jack Mackerel live?
Native to the South Pacific, the core Chilean and Peruvian coastal zone is the heart of its range, extending offshore across the high seas to New Zealand and southern Argentina. Pelagic and oceanic; typically found between 10 and 70 m depth, though the species can go well below 300 m.
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