Common name: Brown hakeling

Japanese name: Ezoisoainame (蝦夷磯鮎並)

Scientific name: Physiculus maximowiczi (Herzenstein, 1896)

Nigiri sushi detail: Brown hakeling (Ezoisoainame) Nigiri sushi

Feature:

Brown hakeling (Ezoisoainame) is distributed on the Pacific Ocean side south of Hakodate. It is found mainly on the seafloor at depths of 60 m or shallower. Its body color is dark brown and it has a luminous organ on its abdomen. The body length is 25 cm.

In the market, it is mixed with Japanese codling (Chigodara) and is sold under the name Donko. In Sanriku, it has strong roots as a local fish used in nabe and other dishes. Recently, fresh fish from Sanriku and Fukushima have started to appear in fresh fish stores in Tokyo as well, but few places serve them because it is not customary to eat them raw.

Ezoisoainame’s body surface is dark and slimy, but when it is handled, a beautifully colored white flesh appears. It is named after Ainame and is similar in texture and taste. It differs from Ainame in that its liver is also tasty, like that of Monkfish (Ankou) and Filefish (Kawahagi).

Nigiri sushi with the liver on top adds an accent to the light white meat, increasing its sweetness and flavor. The liver tastes similar to Kawahagi. In addition, it is considered an ingredient in grilled, simmered, and fish paste products.