Common name: Black marlin, Black marlin fish, Giant black marlin, Pacific black marlin

Japanese name: Shirokajiki (白旗魚、白梶木)、Shirokawakajiki (白皮梶木)

Chinese common name: 印度枪鱼

Scientific name: Istiompax indica (Cuvier, 1832)

Nigiri sushi detail: Black marlin (Shirokajiki) Nigiri sushi

Characteristics:

Black marlin (Shirokawakajiki) is distributed in tropical and subtropical areas of southern Japan and the Indo-Pacific region. It inhabits the surface layer offshore. The rostrum is sharply pointed, and the maxilla is significantly longer than the mandible. It is whitish when alive and turns black when dead.

It is the largest of the marlin species, with some recorded to be over 4 meters in length. The rostrum is thicker and shorter than that of Indo-Pacific blue marlin (Kurokajiki) and is sometimes called Katsuokui because it preys on Bonito (Katsuo) and other fish. The season is from spring to summer.

It is not found in restaurants in the Kanto region. Although its market price has long been low in the Kanto region, it is a high-end fish in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture. In summer, fatty ones are made into sashimi. Its flesh is whitish, so it is not an excellent sushi fish. It can also be grilled, teriyaki, steak, or smoked.