【Reading】やりいか

【English Name】Spear squid

The yariika (spear squid) is a squid of the family Loliginidae in the order Myopsida, its name deriving from the elongated conical mantle resembling the head of a spear. The mantle length is about 30-40 cm for males and about 20-30 cm for females. Living along the coasts from Hokkaido to Kyushu and in the eastern Yellow Sea and East China Sea, it approaches the coast in early spring, making spring the main fishing season. As a sushi topping it is ranked above the surume-ika (Japanese flying squid), and nigiri making use of its translucent flesh is the standard. It is also used as sashimi and dried fish; the dried form is called "ichiban-surume," with products from the Goto Islands prized. Nutritionally, per 100 g it has 17.6 g of protein, 1.0 g of fat, and 320 mg of cholesterol, which is somewhat high.