【Reading】あかむつ

【English Name】Blackthroat seaperch

Akamutsu is a saltwater fish belonging to the family Acropomatidae of the order Perciformes, widely known by the common name "nodoguro" because the inside of its throat is black. It grows to about 40 cm in length, with a body somewhat flattened side to side and a vivid red coloration on the dorsal side. It has large eyes and rough, ctenoid scales.

In the seas around Japan, it is widely distributed on the Sea of Japan side from Aomori to the southern coast of Kyushu, and on the Pacific side from Hokkaido to Kyushu, inhabiting the seafloor at depths of around 100–200 m. Abroad, its distribution has been confirmed along the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, the Philippines, and the northwestern coast of Australia. The spawning season is mainly from June to October.

Major landing areas include Shimane, Nagasaki, Yamaguchi, Ishikawa, Niigata, and Toyama Prefectures. Hamada City in Shimane Prefecture brands it as "Donchicchi Nodoguro," while in Tsushima City, Nagasaki Prefecture, high-quality line-caught specimens are shipped under the name "Benihitomi."

The flesh is an elegant white meat yet has fat distributed throughout, sometimes called the "toro of white fish." Its fattiness is stable year-round, and opinions on its peak season are split between summer–autumn and autumn–winter. It is, of course, used as a sushi topping, and is a premium fish enjoyed in many ways such as salt-grilling, simmering, sashimi, and shabu-shabu.