Japanese Amberjack, Seriola quinqueradiata
The Japanese Amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata), known also as the yellowtail, is a bony fish belonging to the family called Carangidae. It’s native to the northwest Pacific Ocean from Japan to Hawaii and Baja California.
It is greatly appreciated within Japan, where it is called Hamachi or buri. They are eaten either raw or cooked, and are a seasonal favorite within the cooler months when the meat must have higher fat content. The amberjack is usually thought of as a winter delicacy of Toyama and the Hokuriku region.
Some of the fish that are consumed are caught in the wild, but a considerable amount is farmed. To populate these farms, every May, the farmers fish for the small and wild fry, which can be found under floating seaweed. They scoop out the seaweed together with the mojako and put the mojako in cages within the sea.
The small fry are grown until they have achieved a mass of 10 to 50 grams; they fry are known as inada in eastern Japan. They are then sold to the farmers who grow them until they have achieved 3 kilograms called Hamachi, or 5 kilograms called buri. These days, the majority of farmers utilize extruded pellets to feed the fish.
Image Caption: Japanese amberjack (juvenile form). Credit: Izuzuki/Wikipedia (CC BY 2.5)