Common name: Shortspine thornyhead, Channel rockcod, Idiotfish, Rock cod, Shortspine Thornyhea, Shortspine channel rockfish, Spinycheek rockfis

Japanese name: Arasukakichiji (阿羅斯加喜知次、阿羅斯加吉次)

Scientific name: Sebastolobus alascanus Bean, 1890

Nigiri sushi detail: Shortspine thornyhead (Arasukakichiji) Nigiri sushi

Characteristics:

Shortspine thornyhead (Arasukakichiji) is distributed in the Bering Sea, the west coast of North America, and the Sea of Okhotsk. It lives at depths of 100 to 1500 m. It resembles Broadbanded thornyhead (Kichiji), but its body is more elongated and the black spots on its dorsal fin are lighter and more indistinct than those of Kichiji. The body length reaches 80 cm.

There are three species of fish in the Kichiji family worldwide, all of which are found in the North Pacific. Arasukakichiji is rarely caught in Hokkaido.

Arasukakichiji does not harden when heated. It is often imported frozen dressed (head and guts removed). It is a little watery, so it is suitable for marinating in kasuzuke or misozuke.

In the Toyosu market, it is called Arasukakinki.