Common name: Atka mackerel

Japanese name: Kitanohokke (キタノホッケ)

Scientific name: Pleurogrammus monopterygius (Pallas, 1814)

Nigiri sushi detail: Atka mackerel (Kitanohokke) Nigiri sushi

Characteristics:

Atka mackerel (Kitanohokke) is distributed along the Pacific coast of Hokkaido, in the Sea of Okhotsk, Kuril Islands, and the Bering Sea. It inhabits the continental shelf at depths of up to 500 m. It prefers colder waters than Okhostk atka mackerel (Hokke) and migrates to the southern coast of Hokkaido in years when cold currents are strong. The total length is 50 cm.

Kitanohokke is caught mainly in the Kushiro, Nemuro, and Abashiri regions of Hokkaido, but is not often caught in the waters around Japan. Kitanohokke is called Shimahokke to distinguish it from Hokke.

Similar to Hokke, Kitanohokke is dried and processed in the same way as Hokke. It tastes similar to Hokke, but has more fat and is less expensive. It is somewhat watery for sashimi. Distribution of fresh fish is very rare.