Atlantic mackerel

In the UK, Atlantic mackerel arrive inshore with the summer, shifting in huge, shining shoals from deeper offshore waters.

In early September, they're still here in large numbers, being fished from shelved beaches, headlands and piers, where the water is not too shallow.

Scomber scombrus is an iconic, flashy fish, with dark tiger stripes against a glittering blue-green background, and by this time of the year has grown to weigh a kilo or more, and perhaps as long as your arm.

Mackerel mainly eat small fish such as sand eels, but when plankton is on the menu, they gather tightly together in their shoals with mouths open, scooping dinner from the water like a collective net.

Mackerel are a vital food source for many marine predators, including seals, dolphins, whales and sharks.