1, family classification is different: the Spanish mackerel belongs to the mackerel family, genus mackerel; and mackerel belongs to the carp family, genus mackerel.

2, morphological characteristics are different: the Spanish mackerel body shape is longer, fusiform, body was small round scales, back blue or black spots, caudal fins deep forked; while the mackerel body shape is more cylindrical, rounded abdomen, darker back, grayish-white abdomen, the fins are black.

3, the habitat is different: Spanish mackerel mainly inhabits the offshore warm-water pelagic, like the shallow continental shelf sea area, and sometimes also appear in the rocky steep slopes, the lagoon area and even estuarine waters; and mackerel is a demersal fish, mostly concentrated in the rivers, bays, lakes, and ancillary bodies of water with more snails and other benthic animals in the waters.