Yellowtail

Yellowtail, Seriola quinqueradiata, is a species of jack fish in the family Carangidae. Yellowtail is a fast-swimming pelagic carnivorous fish, body with longitudinal yellow stripes, feeding on smaller fish, such as mackerels, horse-mackerels, and sardines. Its area of distribution covers cool temperate waters of the Pacific and Indian Oceans primarily of Japan, southern Australia, and the United States of America.

It is greatly appreciated in Japan, where it is called hamachi or buri. These fish are eaten either cooked or raw and are a seasonal favorite in the colder months when the meat has a higher fat content. Amberjack is typically thought of as a winter delicacy of Toyama and the Hokuriku region. Although it is frequently listed on menus as "yellowtail tuna", it is a fish of an entirely different family, the Carangidae, rather than the family Scombridae that includes tunas, mackerels, and bonitos.

Adults exhibit shoaling habits. They feed on plankton. Juveniles are found among floating seaweeds. fish for the small wild fry, which can be found under floating seaweed. They scoop out the seaweed together with the mojako and put the mojako in cages in the sea. The collection of young is the basis for prosperous aquaculture in Japan.

The small fry grows until they reach 10 to 50 grams in mass; the fry are called inada in eastern Japan (Kantō). They are then sold to aquaculturists, who grow them until they reach 3 kilograms (youth) called hamachi, or 5 kilograms (adult) called buri. Raised in captivity and marketed fresh for sashimi.

Our Yellowtail is wild-caught and the meat is pink. Wild yellowtail can vary in color due to differing fat content among fish. Yellowtail fillets can have a dark muscle line along the edge. Cooked meat is white and firm with a sweet, mild flavor. The high oil content gives the flesh a buttery texture. It is very popular in Asia, Africa, and European markets.