【Reading】つくしとびうお

【English Name】Flying Fish (Tsukushi Tobiuo)

Tsukushi-tobiuo (written 筑紫飛魚) is a saltwater fish belonging to the order Beloniformes, family Exocoetidae (flyingfishes). Its scientific name is Cheilopogon heterurus, described by Rafinesque based on a specimen collected around Sicily in 1810. There was also a period when the scientific name Cypselurus heterurus was used.

Adults reach a body length of about 35 cm. In appearance it closely resembles hoso-tobiuo, and the point for distinguishing them is the color of the pectoral fins. In juveniles they are dark brown, but with growth they shift from blue-gray to transparent. It swims in schools in the surface waters of the open ocean, and a striking characteristic is its habit of leaping out of the water and gliding through the air. Its food is mainly zooplankton.

Among the flyingfishes it is positioned as a species with especially high landings, and it has high value in the fishing industry as material for the dried product called "ago" and for taking dashi (stock). As for fishing methods, boat-seine nets and set nets are mainly used.

Its names differ by region, and it has many aliases such as ago, tonbi, natsu-tobi, haru-tobi, and kaku-tobi. As the names "haru-tobi" and "natsu-tobi" tell, the period from spring to summer is regarded as the main fishing season. In the sushi context, in addition to nigiri of the flyingfish itself, gunkan-maki (battleship rolls) using its roe (tobiko) are widely loved.