【Reading】まながつお

【English Name】Silver Pomfret

Managatsuo (silver pomfret) is a saltwater fish of the family Stromateidae, with the unusual characteristics of a laterally compressed body and the absence of pelvic fins. It has a blackish, silvery metallic luster and a maximum body length of 60 cm. It is widely distributed from the East China Sea to the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, and in Japan it is a high-grade fish of western Japan, seen in the seas south of central Honshu, the Seto Inland Sea, and the Ariake Sea. It has two seasons, summer and winter. Because its freshness deteriorates extremely quickly, opportunities to enjoy it as sashimi or nigiri are limited, so most of it is served by heated preparations such as Saikyo-yaki, teriyaki, and simmering. If one can encounter it at a sushi restaurant near a production area, it becomes a precious ingredient where one can savor refined, sweet white flesh.