Common name: Half-crenated ark

Japanese name: Sarubougai (猿頬貝)

Scientific name: Anadara kagoshimensis (Tokunaga, 1906)

Nigiri sushi detail: Half-crenated ark (Sarubougai) Nigiri sushi

Characteristics:

Half-crenated ark (Sarubougai) is distributed from Tokyo Bay to Kyushu, the Korean Peninsula, and the coast of China.Sarubougai is similar to, but smaller than, the Ark shell (Akagai). Shell length is about 7 cm, and shell width is about 5 cm. The shell surface is white with blackish brown periostracum. The number of striations on the surface of the shell of Akagai is around 42, whereas the number of striations on the surface of Sarubougai is around 32.

Canned Akagai and Akagai rice are often made from Sarubougai. The catch in Japan is small, and it is mainly imported from South Korea. The season is from winter to spring. The fresher ones can be used as a substitute for Ark shell (Akagai) in sushi dishes, but the taste is somewhat inferior. It is usually simmered or boiled in tsukudani (food boiled down in soy sauce).

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