Do not consume regulary, possible scombroid poisoning (histamine toxicity) if not immediately chilled after catching.

Has a slender body, reaching up to 60 cm in length but specimens of over 30 cm are rare, likely due to fishing pressure. It has a pointed snout, and like the common mackerel, the dorsal fins are spaced apart. Ventral fins are present on the fromt of the body, at the level of the pectoral fins. The body is covered in small scales, with larger scales at the back of the head and on the pectoral fins. Its swim bladder allows it to quickly dive deep. THe body has a bluish-green coloration with yellowish hues and dark spots along the flanks. The belly and lower part of the flanks are white. Very similar to Scomber japonicus, recent genetic studies identified them as different species

Until recently, all studies in the Atlantic, Mediterranean and Black Sea refer to S. japonicus instead of S. colias. However, morphologic and genetic data are in agreement with the recognition of two different species, S. colias in the Atlantic and S. japonicus in the Indo-Pacific