【Reading】まごち

【English Name】Flathead

The magochi (flathead, Platycephalus sp.) is a saltwater fish of the family Platycephalidae and a premium white-flesh topping representing summer. Its body length is usually around 50 cm, reaching a maximum of 80 cm. With a shovel-like flattened head, it is a benthic fish that lives with its belly against the sandy-muddy seabed. Characterized by a clean, refined sweetness and a firm bite, in nigiri it pairs well with salt and sudachi. Its season is summer, and it is distributed along the coasts from Miyagi Prefecture southward on the Pacific side and from Yamagata Prefecture southward on the Sea of Japan side. It prefers sandy-muddy bottoms to depths of 30 m and also appears in the brackish waters of river mouths. It can be distinguished from the related yoshinogochi in that the magochi has a blackish stripe pattern, while the yoshinogochi has mosaic-like black spots on a white ground.