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【English Name】Barracuda

A saltwater fish belonging to the genus Sphyraena of the family Sphyraenidae, it is internationally known by the English name barracuda. Favoring warm water temperatures, it ranges along the coastal waters of the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans, forming schools and acting around reefs and coral reefs as its territory.

Its body has a slender spindle shape, and its widely split mouth and sharp teeth catch the eye. There are two representative species familiar on the Japanese table, forming the two pillars: the akakamasu (red barracuda; total length about 50 cm, with a reddish body color and a black vertical stripe running along its side) and the yamatokamasu (total length about 35 cm, with a bluish body color, also called mizukamasu).

Although it is a white-fleshed fish, its flavor is mild, and because in the raw state it has high water content and the flesh tends to fall apart, it is not very often served as sashimi. When used as a sushi ingredient, preparation by searing (aburi) is common, with heating bringing out the umami of its fat. It is in dishes that apply heat, such as dried fish, salt-grilling, and deep-frying (karaage), that the true value of this fish is displayed.

The height of its season is autumn and winter, when its fat content increases, and those landed in that period are prized under the name shimofuri-kamasu (marbled barracuda). With set-net and longline fishing as the main methods, it is landed at ports throughout various regions, from the coasts of Hokkaido all the way to Kyushu.