【Reading】Flounder

【English Name】Olive Flounder

A saltwater fish representative of the family Paralichthyidae (suborder Pleuronectoidei of the order Carangiformes), written with the kanji 鮃 or 平目 (hirame). With the western Pacific as its main habitat, its broad distribution across the entire country, from the coast of Hokkaido to the coast of Kyushu, has been confirmed. Adults reach a maximum body length of about 1 m, and there are individuals that grow to around 10 kg in weight.

As a way to distinguish it from righteye flounders (karei), the mnemonic "left-side hirame, right-side karei" has been familiar since ancient times, and the morphological feature unique to hirame is that both eyes are shifted to the left side of the body. The fact that it has a large, well-developed mouth and a row of sharp teeth is also cited as a notable difference from karei. It makes the sandy-muddy bottom shallower than 200 m depth its main living area, and shows the habit of becoming active at night to prey on small fish and the like.

It is a fish species occupying a first-class position as a white-fleshed sushi topping, and its light flavor accompanied by refined umami has long maintained high acclaim. The "engawa" running along the base of the dorsal and anal fins combines moderate fat and a unique chewiness, and is counted among the parts that are specially regarded. The peak of its flavor is in winter, and the period when it is called "kan-birame" (cold-season flounder) is the best time to eat it. On the other hand, in summer after the spawning season, the quality of the flesh tends to decline, and the evaluation of individuals past their prime is relatively lower.

In the preparation stage, because of its flat body shape, the three-piece filleting method (sanmai-oroshi) cannot fully handle it, so the five-piece method (gomai-oroshi) is chosen. In addition to wide application to sashimi and nigiri sushi, it is also active in dishes such as sake-steaming and meunière. The distribution of farmed products has also become established, and because of its property of growing faster than righteye flounders, it is highly positioned as a promising fish species in land-based aquaculture as well.