THE MACKEREL
“Scomber Scomber/Die Mackrele/Le Maquereau/The Mackrel” (plate 54), copper engraving made by Ludwig Schmidt after the drawing of Krüger jr, for Markus Elieser Bloch’s “Allgemeine Naturgeschichte der Fische” published in Berlin between 1782 and 1795. With original hand colouring. Size: 19 x 38 cm.
Bloch’s work on the “Allgemeine Naturgeschichte der Fische” occupied a considerable portion of his life, and is considered to have laid the foundations of the science of ichthyology. The publication was encouraged by a large subscription, and it passed rapidly through five editions in German and in French. Bloch made little or no alteration in the systematic arrangement of Peter Artedi and Carl Linnaeus, although he was disposed to introduce into the classification some modifications depending on the structure of the gills. To the number of genera before established, he found it necessary to add nineteen new ones, and he described 276 species new to science, many of them inhabitants of the remotest parts of the ocean, and by the brilliancy of their colours, or the singularity of their forms, as much objects of popular admiration as of scientific curiosity.
Bloch is considered the most important ichthyologist of the 18th century.
Scomber scomber, also known as Atlantic mackerel, is a species of mackerel found in the Atlantic Ocean. It is a fast-swimming predatory fish that typically grows to 20–30 centimeters in length and can live up to 6 years. Scomber scomber is an important commercial fish species, with its meat being used in a variety of dishes, such as sushi and smoked mackerel. The species is also used as bait for larger predatory fish, such as tuna.
Price: Euro 350,-
