Fishermen and sushi chefs see the appearance of seafood all the time, but the general public has never seen it, except for some seafood. 

There are more than 5,000 species of fish in Japan’s coastal waters, of which about 500 are edible. In Tokyo Bay, for example, about 200 species of fish and shellfish are caught. Here are some images of fish and shellfish commonly used for Nigiri sushi.

Recently, the Japanese inshore waters alone are not enough to meet the demand, and many fish are being imported as substitutes. Before the Food Labeling Law came into effect, they were used as disguised fish.

There is only one scientific name for each species, but there are several English names. A link to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility site provides more information on the location of the fish and shellfish.