Isuzumi (English name) bluefish

A marine fish belonging to the order Perciformes and family Pectiniidae of the class Osteichthyes. Also known as Gokurakumejina. Local names include Kushiro (Tokai region), Kittsuo (Kochi), and Asabe (Owase). In Japan, it is distributed in warm waters such as the Kanto region south, the Pacific Ocean, and the Indian Ocean. Its body shape is spatulate and laterally compressed. Its snout is short and its mouth is small. It has a row of extremely sharp incisors on both jaws. The rear edge of its caudal fin is indented. Its body color is bluish brown, with many yellow longitudinal lines running down its sides. Some individuals are orange-yellow in color overall. Its dorsal fin has 10 spines and 14 soft rays, and its anal fin has 3 spines and 12 to 13 soft rays. Some are large, measuring over 70 cm in length. It is known that the juveniles of this species attach to floating seaweed from spring to summer, and the spawning season is thought to be early spring. Adult fish live in coastal reef areas, preying on small animals in summer and preferring to eat brown algae such as Habanori in winter. A closely related species is the Japanese mullet K. cinerascens , but it can be distinguished from this species by the difference in the number of spines and 12 soft rays in the dorsal fin and the number of spines and 11 soft rays in the anal fin. It is a target fish for iso fishing, and is used in dishes such as stews and grilled dishes.

[Yoshihiko Taniguchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

硬骨魚綱スズキ目イスズミ科に属する海水魚。別名ゴクラクメジナ。地方名クシロ（東海地方）、キツオ（高知）、アサベ（尾鷲(おわせ)）など。日本では関東以南、太平洋、インド洋などの暖海域に分布。体形はタイ形で、側扁(そくへん)する。吻(ふん)は短く、口は小さい。両あごには門歯が1列に並び、これらは著しく鋭利である。尾びれの後縁は湾入する。体色は青褐色で、体側に多くの黄色の縦走線が走る。また、全体的に橙黄(とうこう)色の個体もみられる。背びれ10棘(きょく)14軟条、臀(しり)びれ3棘12～13軟条。全長70センチメートルを超す大形のものがある。本種の稚魚は春から夏にかけて流れ藻につくことが知られており、産卵期は早春と考えられる。成魚は沿岸の岩礁地帯に生息し、夏場は小動物を捕食し、冬場は褐藻類のハバノリを好んで食べる。近縁種にテンジクイサキK. cinerascensがあるが、背びれ11棘12軟条、臀びれ3棘11軟条の違いで本種と区別できる。磯(いそ)釣りの対象魚で、煮物や焼き物などにされる。

［谷口順彦］

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