Behaviour
Adult snake mackerels conduct a diel vertical migration, staying in deeper water during the day and rising to the surface at night to feed. The young and juveniles also migrate vertically but in the opposite direction, staying near the surface during the day and moving deeper at night. This species feeds on squid, pelagic crustaceans, and bony fishes such as lanternfishes, flying fishes, sauries, and mackerel. It is in turn preyed upon by tuna and marlin. Reproduction is oviparous, with females producing 300,000 to 1,000,000 eggs. Spawning occurs year-round; spawning areas are known to exist in the Caribbean Sea and off the coast of Florida. Males reach sexual maturity at 43 cm (17 in) long and females at 50 cm (20 in) long. As the fish mature and move into deeper water where there is less available light, they lose the cone cells in their eyes in favor of rod cells.
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