【Reading】めばる

【English Name】Rockfish

A white-fleshed fish whose name is said to derive from its large, forward-protruding eyeballs; the writing mebaru (目張) is also reflected in the characters 眼張 and 鮴. That striking protrusion of the eyes is the greatest clue when distinguishing this fish from others.

Once lumped together as a single species, in 2008 it was officially recognized as reclassified into three species based on molecular phylogenetic analysis using DNA. Under the current classification, three species are treated as independent: akamebaru (Sebastes inermis), shiromebaru (Sebastes cheni), and kuromebaru (Sebastes ventricosus). It lives in schools in rocky reef zones from southern Hokkaido to Kyushu and the southern Korean Peninsula, with a body length of around 20 to 30 cm. Though similar in body shape to the kasago (scorpionfish), it is strongly laterally compressed with a body that protrudes greatly in the vertical direction. Its mode of reproduction is ovoviviparity, with internal fertilization and internal development, and it is notable that the number of fry born reaches several thousand.

Its white flesh is low in fat and rich in protein, with a refined, unobtrusive umami that spreads through the mouth. In sushi it is often served as nigiri or sashimi, and it is also a versatile material that flexibly suits a wide range of Japanese dishes such as simmering, salt-grilling, miso soup, and deep-frying. Its season runs from the end of winter to early spring, and it has a history of being long cherished under the name harutsuge-uo (spring-announcing fish) as a fish that signals the changing of the seasons.