Maasbanker

The maasbanker, or Cape horse mackerel, is a slim, silvery fish with a bluish back and a distinctive row of hard, keeled scutes running along the lateral line to the tail base. Built for speed, it forms large, tightly packed shoals that move through the cool waters of the Western and Eastern Cape, often near the surface but also over deeper shelf ground.

Horse mackerel feed on small fish, crustaceans and plankton, and their shoals are a mainstay of the food chain, feeding everything from snoek to seabirds. They are abundant and heavily targeted commercially and by shore anglers. The flesh is oily and best eaten fresh or smoked, and fish should be iced promptly to keep quality.