Saba (Mackerel) - Saba (English spelling) mackerel

Japanese: サバ（鯖） - さば（英語表記）mackerel

A general term for marine fish belonging to the tribe Scomberini in the subfamily Scombrinae of the family Scomberidae in the order Perciformes of the class Osteichthyes. They are found in coastal areas from tropical to temperate zones around the world, but are particularly abundant in the waters from the Western Pacific to the Indian Ocean, where they are the most important fishery. The tribe Scomberini consists of two genera and six species, with three species in the genus Scomber and three in the genus Scomber. In Japan, the term "saba" generally refers to two species in the genus Scomber: chub mackerel Scomber japonicus and sesame mackerel Scomber australasicus . They are generally considered to be the most primitive member of the family Scomberidae.

[Muneo Okiyama]

form

The body is spindle-shaped and slightly laterally compressed. Chub mackerel is also called Hirasaba or Honsaba, and is more laterally compressed than Gomasaba. The body height is smaller than the head length. The first and second dorsal fins are largely separated. Between the second dorsal fin and the caudal fin, there are five accessory or separate fins on each side of the dorsal and ventral margins. At the base of the caudal fin, there are two small vertical ridges on each side of the body, but they are not developed like the caudal peduncle ridges of skipjack tuna. The gill rakers (protrusions that line the pharyngeal side of the gills) are well developed, with about 40 in number. The body color is green on the back and silvery white with an iridescent belly, with black wavy ripples usually on the back, and Gomasaba (also known as Marusaba) also has small black spots densely distributed on the belly. The surface of the body is covered with small scales that peel off easily.

The genus Scomber was once divided into separate genera, with Chub mackerel and Spotted mackerel, which have swim bladders, being classified as Pneumatophorus , and Atlantic mackerel, which lacks swim bladders, being classified as Scomber . The two groups show clear differences in the state of ossification, morphological characteristics of larvae, and geographical distribution, but currently these two groups, which have slightly different characteristics, are included in one genus. Chub mackerel and Spotted mackerel differ in external morphological characteristics such as color markings and the number of spines in the first dorsal fin, but the exact distinction is made by the dorsal fin pterygota (a bone at the base of the fin; Chub mackerel has 13-16, Spotted mackerel has 17-23) or the number of interneural spines.

[Muneo Okiyama]

Related species

Scombridae fishes are broadly divided into three groups based on the number of vertebrae they have. The genus Scombridae, along with the genera Scombridae and Scombridae, belong to the group with the fewest number of vertebrae, with 30 to 31. As fossil species of the Scombridae family show similar characteristics, these coastal genera are considered to be the basic species group of the family, but there is also the view that each is quite specialized. The genera Scombridae and Scombridae are considered to be the most closely related because of their many similar characteristics. Although the genus Scombridae has been incorporated into the tribe Scombridae, it is thought to be quite closely related to the genus Scombridae based on its geographical distribution and characteristics of the juvenile fish stage.

[Muneo Okiyama]

distribution

The three species are distributed over a wide range of oceans, and each species is distributed in a way that mutually excludes the warm zones except the tropical zones. Of these, the chub mackerel has the widest distribution, and is known from the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and the Indian Ocean off the coast of eastern Africa. In the western Pacific, it is abundant in Japan, the Korean Peninsula, China, and Primorsky Krai, and in the eastern Pacific, it is distributed intermittently from off the coast of California to the coast of Chile through Mexico and Peru. In the Atlantic, it is distributed in both eastern and western regions, from off the coast of Massachusetts to Argentina on the western coast, and from the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea to Cape Town on the eastern coast. The pied mackerel is more suitable for warm waters than the chub mackerel, and although the two species are found mixed in the western Pacific, on average they live separately from the chub mackerel in the north and south. In the southwest Pacific, only the pied mackerel appears, and it is abundant in the waters of Australia and Tasmania. It has also been recorded off the coast of Hawaii and Mexico, but is not known from the Indian Ocean. The Atlantic mackerel S. scombrus is found exclusively in the North Atlantic, living in colder areas further north than the chub mackerel, and migrating in summer to the Black Sea, North Sea, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

[Muneo Okiyama]

Life history

Reflecting the wide range of distribution, each species is divided into many regional stocks, and biological characteristics often differ depending on the stock. Several regional stocks of Japanese mackerel have been recognized in the waters around Japan in the 12-19°C water temperature zone. These include the Pacific Ocean, the southern and western East China Sea, the west coast of the Goto Islands, and the Tsushima Warm Current stock. However, these are not fixed populations, but rather fluidly interact with each other in relation to resource levels and environmental conditions. This species has a pronounced seasonal north-south migration, and its life cycle is basically a northward migration in spring and summer, mainly foraging and spawning, and a southward migration in autumn and winter, which is thought to be for wintering. Spawning takes place along the coasts of Japan, in a wide water temperature range of 12-24°C, with the optimum water temperature being around 18°C. The peak spawning season is February and March from Okinawa to the southern Satsuma area, April and May from southern Kyushu to central Honshu, and May to July in the northern Sea of Japan. The number of eggs carried by a single fish varies with age, but the number of eggs carried by 2- and 3-year-old fish, which are the main spawning group, is between 500,000 and 1,000,000. The fertilized eggs are pelagic and spherical, with a diameter of 0.93 to 1.25 mm. They hatch in about 50 hours at a water temperature of 20°C, and 3 mm-long larvae are born. They grow rapidly while living in plankton on the surface of the coast, and by the time they reach a total length of about 50 mm, they have a body shape similar to that of an adult fish, and migrate to the open sea. They reach 20 cm at the end of the year they are born, 28 cm at the end of the following year, and 33 cm at the end of three years. Some individuals mature at one year of age, but the majority mature at two years or older. The minimum body length at maturity is about 257 mm for females. Their feeding habits change with development, and the composition of their food also changes seasonally. Up until the juvenile stage, they feed mainly on animal prey, mainly small copepods (such as water fleas and anchor worms). They then expand their diet to include sardines, mysids, and cladocerans (such as water fleas and daphnia), and when they move to the open ocean, they feed mainly on krill, anchovies, sardines, horse mackerel, and squid. They consume a lot of phytoplankton in winter. Because the habitats of their food differ between the wintering and migratory periods, there are also differences in the composition of their food. The life cycles of the red mackerel and the Atlantic mackerel can also be considered to be basically the same as that of the chub mackerel.

[Muneo Okiyama]

Fisheries and Utilization

Due to the wide fishing grounds and long fishing season, various fishing methods are used, but in recent years, mackerel fishing has mainly been done with purse seine boats equipped with modern equipment. In some areas, hane-zuri fishing with lights is also practiced, but this method has limitations as it is used to target spawning schools, and is declining due to the trend toward labor-saving. The total catch of mackerel remained at around 1 to 1.5 million tons per year in the 1970s, but has been decreasing since the 1980s, and has been around 250,000 to 350,000 tons since the 2000s. More than 90% of this is caught by purse seine fishing, including single-boat and double-boat fishing. On the Pacific coast, fishing grounds are located along the inner coastal zone of the Kuroshio Current, about 10 to 20 miles from the shore, but in the central Pacific region, the main fishing ground, fishing grounds develop around the 200-meter isobath or around many islands.

Mackerel is a typical popular fish, and is eaten fresh or boiled. Mackerel fishing is surprisingly popular because of the strong pull of the fish. The most common method is bishi fishing, where diced squid or pieces of red or yellow rubber are attached to the hook. Sabiki fishing uses a series of hooks with fish skin attached.

[Muneo Okiyama]

edible

In the Heian period, mackerel was designated as a middle-ranking crop (a tax imposed on middle-ranking men under the ryo system), and the Engishiki records that it was sent from the provinces to the capital. Provinces such as Noto, Suo, Sanuki, Iyo, and Tosa contributed greatly. The Edo period book, Illustrated Guide to Famous Products of the Mountains and Seas of Japan, states that "Mackerel comes from Tamba, Tajima, Kishu, and Kumano. Noto is also considered a fine product." During the Edo period, when salted sashimi (saba) was preferred over eating raw mackerel, people would serve rice wrapped in lotus leaves on a meal on the 15th of the seventh month of Obon, but they would also add sashimi wrapped in lotus leaves to the meal, and this was called hasunokugo (lotus rice).

Mackerel with a high fat content is delicious. In particular, it becomes fatty in autumn, and with very high fat content, the eyes appear milky white. Chub mackerel tastes better in autumn, while sesame mackerel does not change in taste much throughout the year. Mackerel also has a lot of umami components and its meat has a good taste, but on the other hand, its enzymes are very strong and it is broken down by enzymes within a short time after it is caught. Mackerel meat in particular contains a lot of histidine, a type of amino acid, which is converted into histamine by enzymes. Histamine is an allergen and causes reactions in people with allergies. Even live mackerel can cause stomach pains and hives in some people, which is why it has come to be called "living rotten mackerel."

Fresh mackerel has shiny skin, no sunken eyes, and a bright red gill cover. The taste of mackerel changes in a short time, so it is best to fillet or split it while it is fresh, sprinkle a little salt on it, and refrigerate it. Also, once it is heated or cooked, the taste changes very little. It can be cooked in a variety of ways, including salt-grilled, simmered, miso-boiled, marinated, or butter-fried, or marinated in salt and then served in vinegar or kizushi (shimesaba).

There are many local dishes using mackerel. Bo-zushi in Kyoto and Sugata-zushi in Kochi are local specialities of pressed sushi. Sushi made by pressing mackerel into a box shape is also called battera. Senba-jiru is famous in Osaka, and it got its name from the fact that in the past, servants in Senba, an old wholesale district in Osaka, were given a soup made by boiling mackerel heads and daikon radish. Salted mackerel is cut into chunks and boiled with strips of daikon radish and kelp. A little soy sauce is added to finish. The flavor of the mackerel acts as a stock and makes for a very good dish.

There are many processed foods made from mackerel. They include boiled canned foods, seasoned canned foods, salted foods, and dried mackerel. Dried mackerel produces a lot of stock, so it is often mixed with other fish to make udon soup stock. However, it has a rather strong smell and a unique flavor.

[Tomomi Kono and Midori Otaki]

Folklore

As the proverb goes, "Mackerel rots while alive," mackerel spoils easily, and there are "Mackerel Rot Stones" in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture, and Nishisonogi and Minamitakaki districts, Nagasaki Prefecture, where fish traders are said to have rotten mackerel while they are hesitating to pass through difficult areas. Also, in Yasakayahama, Tokushima Prefecture, there is a legend about "Saba Daishi," in which a merchant did not offer a mackerel to a traveling monk, and the horse developed stomach pains because the monk did not offer the mackerel. It is said that offering a mackerel to this stone Buddha holding a mackerel will bring miraculous powers in the event of stomach pain. In Shinbashi, Tokyo, there is a small shrine called Saba Inari, and it is said that if you donate a votive tablet with a picture of a mackerel here, your toothache will be cured, but this is a popular belief that comes from the sound of the word "saba," which refers to the sound of teeth.

In the past, mackerel caught in Wakasa (Fukui Prefecture) was salted and transported to Kyoto by foot all night, but the shortest route from Obama (Fukui Prefecture) to Kyoto was called the "Mackerel Road," and it was the perfect time to eat them when they arrived in Kyoto. In western Japan, mackerel is called bon-gyo (bon festival fish), and sashimi mackerel (salted mackerel) is used as a gift during the Bon Festival, but mackerel sushi is an essential part of Kyoto festivals.

[Kenichi Yano]

[Reference] | Mackerel sushi

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

硬骨魚綱スズキ目サバ科サバ亜科のうちサバ族に属する海水魚の総称。世界の熱帯から温帯域内の沿岸部に分布するが、とくに西太平洋からインド洋海域に多産し、この海域ではもっとも重要な漁獲物である。サバ族は2属6種で、サバ属3種とグルクマ属の3種が知られている。日本でサバとよぶものはサバ属のマサバScomber japonicusとゴマサバS. australasicusの2種をさすのが普通である。一般にサバ科のなかでもっとも原始的な仲間とみなされている。

［沖山宗雄］

形態

体は紡錘形でやや側扁(そくへん)する。マサバはヒラサバ、ホンサバともよばれ、ゴマサバより側扁の度合いが強い。体高は頭長より小さい。第1背びれと第2背びれは大きく分離している。第2背びれと尾びれの間には背腹両縁に各5個の副びれあるいは離(はなれ)びれがある。尾びれの基部には体側に各2個の小縦隆起があるが、カツオの尾柄(びへい)隆起のように発達はしない。鰓耙(さいは)（えらの咽頭(いんとう)側の面に列生する突起）はよく発達し、その数は約40本。体色は背部が緑色、腹部は虹彩(こうさい)を帯びた銀白色で、背部には通常、黒色波状紋があり、ゴマサバ（別名マルサバ）では腹面にも小黒点が密布する。体表は剥離(はくり)しやすい小鱗(しょうりん)で覆われる。

　サバ属は、かつてうきぶくろをもつマサバとゴマサバをPneumatophorus属、これを欠くタイセイヨウサバをScomber属とそれぞれ別属に分けたことがある。両者は骨化の状態、仔稚(しち)魚の形態的特徴、地理的分布などにおいても明瞭(めいりょう)な相違を示すが、現在では性状のやや異なるこの2群を1属に含めている。マサバとゴマサバは色彩斑紋(はんもん)や第1背びれ棘(きょく)数などの外部形態の特徴を異にするが、正確に区別するには背びれの担鰭(たんき)骨（ひれの基部にある骨で、マサバは13～16個、ゴマサバでは17～23個である）あるいは神経間棘数が用いられる。

［沖山宗雄］

近縁種

サバ科魚類は脊椎(せきつい)骨数の違いによって3群に大別される。サバ属はグルクマ属、ニジョウサバ属とともに脊椎骨数30～31個ともっとも少ないグループに属する。サバ科の化石種が同様な特徴を示すことから、これらの沿岸性属はこの科の基本的種群と考えられているが、おのおのが相当特化しているとみる考えもある。サバ属とグルクマ属とは種々の特徴がよく類似しているために、もっとも近縁な仲間とみなされる。ニジョウサバ属はサワラ族に編入されてはいるが、地理的分布、稚魚期の特徴などから、サバ属にかなり近縁であることが考えられる。

［沖山宗雄］

分布

3種の地理的分布は非常に広範囲の海域に及び、熱帯域を除く温暖域を相互に排除しあうような形で各種が分布している。このうちマサバはもっとも広い分布域を有し、太平洋と大西洋および東部アフリカ沖のインド洋から知られている。西太平洋では日本、朝鮮半島、中国、沿海州において多産し、東太平洋ではカリフォルニア沖からメキシコ、ペルーを経てチリの沿岸まで断続的に分布する。大西洋においても東西両域に分布し、西岸ではマサチューセッツ沖からアルゼンチンまで、東岸では南寄りの地中海、黒海からケープ・タウンに及ぶ。ゴマサバはマサバより暖海性が強く、西太平洋では2種の混在がみられるものの、平均的にはマサバと南北に分離した形で生息している。南西太平洋ではゴマサバのみが出現し、オーストラリア、タスマニア海域には多産する。ハワイ、メキシコ沖での記録もあるが、インド洋からは知られていない。タイセイヨウサバS. scombrusは北大西洋にのみ分布し、マサバよりも北方の寒冷域に生息する。夏季には黒海、北海、セント・ローレンス湾にまで回遊する。

［沖山宗雄］

生活史

分布域の広さを反映して、各種は多数の地域別の系群に分かれており、生物学的特徴も系群によって異なることが多い。日本近海のマサバについては12～19℃の水温帯のなかでいくつかの地方群が認められている。つまり、太平洋、東シナ海南部および西部、五島(ごとう)列島西沖、対馬(つしま)暖流系群などであるが、これらは固定的な集団ではなく、資源水準や環境条件との関連で流動的に交流しあうものである。顕著な季節的な南北回遊をするこの仲間の生活史は、基本的には春・夏の北上回遊は索餌(さくじ)行動と産卵行動が中心であり、秋・冬の南下回遊は越冬のためと考えられる。産卵は日本各地の沿岸で行われ、水温範囲は12～24℃と広く、最適水温は18℃前後である。産卵盛期は沖縄から薩南(さつなん)海域が2、3月、南九州から本州中部が4、5月、日本海北部で5～7月である。一尾の抱卵数は年齢による違いもあるが、産卵の主群となる2、3歳魚では50万～100万粒を数える。受精卵は分離浮性卵で、卵径0.93～1.25ミリメートルの球形をしている。水温20℃で約50時間で孵化(ふか)し、全長3ミリメートルの仔魚が産まれる。沿岸の表層でプランクトン生活を送りながら急速に成長し、全長50ミリメートルごろまでにほぼ成魚に近い体形になり、外海に移動する。発生した年の末には20センチメートル、翌年末には28センチメートル、満3年で33センチメートルに達する。早い個体では1歳で成熟するが、過半数の成熟は2歳以上である。成熟の最小体長は雌で257ミリメートル程度である。食性は発育とともに変化する一方、季節的にも餌料(じりょう)組成が変わる。稚魚期までは小形の橈脚(とうきゃく)類（ケンミジンコやイカリムシなど）を主体に動物性餌料を捕食する。その後、イワシ類、アミ類、枝角(しかく)類（ミジンコやエボシミジンコなど）などへ食性の範囲を広げ、外洋に移動したころにはオキアミ類、カタクチイワシ、マイワシ、アジ、イカ類をおもな餌(えさ)とする。植物プランクトンは冬期に多く摂取される。越冬期と回遊期とでは生息する環境が違うために、餌の組成にも相違がみられる。ゴマサバとタイセイヨウサバの生活史も、基本的にはマサバと同じものとみなすことができる。

［沖山宗雄］

漁業・利用

漁場が広く、漁期が長いために種々の漁具漁法が利用されているが、近年のサバ漁業は近代的装備を有する巻網船による漁獲が中心となっている。灯火を併用したハネ釣りも地域によっては行われているが、これは産卵群を対象にした漁法であるという制約がある一方、省力化の指向のなかで衰退しつつある。サバ類の総漁獲量は1970年代は年間100万～150万トン前後を維持していたが、80年代以降は減り続け、2000年代に入ってからは25万～35万トン前後となっている。この90％以上が一隻巻き、二隻巻きを含む巻網漁業によって漁獲されている。漁場は太平洋岸では黒潮の内側沿岸水帯に沿って陸岸から10～20マイル前後にあるが、主漁場の太平洋中区では200メートル等深線または多くの島の周りに漁場が発達する。

　サバ類は代表的な大衆魚であり、鮮魚でまたは煮て食用にされる。サバ釣りは、引きが強いので案外人気がある。ビシ釣りが一般的で、イカ角切りや赤・黄色ゴム片を鉤(はり)につける。サビキ釣りは、魚皮付の鉤が連らなる。

［沖山宗雄］

食用

サバは平安時代には中男(ちゅうなん)作物（令(りょう)制で中男に課した租税）に指定され、地方から都に送られていたことが『延喜式(えんぎしき)』にみえる。能登(のと)、周防(すおう)、讃岐(さぬき)、伊予、土佐などの国が多く貢献した。江戸時代の『日本山海名産図会(ずえ)』には「鯖(さば)、丹波(たんば)、但馬(たじま)、紀州、熊野より出す。其(そ)のほか能登を名品とす」とある。サバは生食よりも塩漬けにした刺鯖(さしさば)が好まれた江戸時代には、盂蘭盆(うらぼん)の7月15日にハスの葉に包んだ強飯(こわいい)を膳(ぜん)に盛ったが、同時に刺鯖もハスの葉に包んで添え、これを荷供御(はすのくご)（蓮飯(はすのいい)）と称した。

　サバは脂肪分の多いものが美味である。とくに秋になると脂がのり、脂肪分の非常に高いものは目が乳白色に濁ってみえるほどになる。秋に味がよくなるのはマサバで、ゴマサバは一年中味の変化が少ない。またサバにはうま味成分が多く、肉の味がよいが、一方では酵素力が非常に強く、漁獲後短時間のうちに酵素分解が進む。とくにサバの肉にはアミノ酸の一種であるヒスチジンが多く、これが酵素によってヒスタミンに変化する。ヒスタミンはアレルゲンとして、アレルギー性の人にとってはその反応をおこす原因となる。生きのよいサバでも、人によっては腹痛やじんま疹(しん)が出たりすることから、「サバの生き腐れ」といわれるようになった。

　皮につやがあり、目がくぼんでいないもの、えらぶたの赤い色がさえているものが新鮮である。サバは短時間に味が変化するから、新しい間に開くか三枚におろし、軽く塩をし、冷蔵しておくとよい。また加熱し、調理してしまえば味の変化が少ない。料理としては、塩焼き、煮つけ、みそ煮、マリネ、バター焼き、あるいは塩でしめてのち、酢の物、きずし（しめさば）などにもする。

　サバには多くの郷土料理がある。京都の棒ずし、高知の姿ずしなどは押しずしの地方名物となっている。また、サバを箱型に押したすしをバッテラともよぶ。大阪では船場(せんば)汁が有名であり、これは昔、大阪の古い問屋町である船場で奉公人たちに、サバのあらと大根を煮た汁を食べさせたのでこの名がある。塩さばをぶつ切りにし、短冊に切ったダイコン、昆布とともに煮る。仕上げにしょうゆをすこし加える。サバの味がだしとなってたいへん味がよい。

　サバには加工食品が多い。水煮缶詰、味つけ缶詰、塩蔵品、さば節などがある。さば節はだしがよく出るので、うどんのだしなどにもほかの節と混合して使用される。しかしにおいがやや強く、くせがある。

［河野友美・大滝　緑］

民俗

「サバの生き腐れ」という諺(ことわざ)があるように、サバはいたみやすく、魚商人が難所を通りかねてぐずぐずしている間に腐ってしまうという「サバ腐らし石」が、佐賀県唐津市、長崎県西彼杵(にしそのぎ)郡、南高来(みなみたかき)郡などにある。また、徳島県の八坂八浜(やさかやはま)などには、商人が1匹のサバを旅僧に献じなかったためにそのウマが腹痛をおこしたという「鯖大師」の伝説があり、このサバを手にした石仏にサバを献じると、腹痛のときに霊験があるとされている。東京の新橋には鯖稲荷(さばいなり)とよばれる祠(ほこら)があり、ここにサバの図の絵馬を奉納すると歯痛が治るというが、サバという歯にちなんだ音に由来する俗信である。

　昔は若狭(わかさ)（福井県）でとれたサバは、塩をふられて夜通し歩いて京へ運ばれたが、その小浜(おばま)（福井県）から京都への最短コースは「鯖の道」といわれ、ちょうど京に着くころ絶好の食べどきとなった。西日本では盆魚(ぼんぎょ)とよんで、盆の贈答品に刺鯖（塩鯖）を用いるが、京都の祭礼に鯖ずしは欠かせないものである。

［矢野憲一］

[参照項目] | 鯖ずし

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