【Reading】まとうだい

【English Name】John Dory

A white-fleshed saltwater fish of the order Zeiformes, scientifically named Zeus faber. The round black spot on each flank resembles a kyudo (Japanese archery) target, which is the origin of its Japanese name "matodai." The body is a strongly laterally compressed oval, usually about 40 cm and reaching up to roughly 90 cm. It is also known for its distinctive feeding behavior of instantly extending its mouth forward to seize small fish. Distributed from the western Pacific, Indian Ocean, and Mediterranean to the eastern Atlantic, it lives solitarily near the seabed at depths of about 50-150 m off central Honshu and southward in Japanese waters. As a sushi topping it is prized for its light, refined sweetness, with winter to spring being its season. The liver is also valued as food, and its English name is John Dory.