List of Silver-skinned fish (Hikarimono)

Hikarimono (Silver-skinned fish) includes horse mackerel, mackerel, sardines, sillago, and gizzard shad, generally referred to as blue-backed fish. Hikarimono all have high-fat content. It is approximately 7% in gizzard shad and horse mackerel. It is about 16% in mackerel. The taste is heavy. Many of the fish in this category lose their freshness quickly, so the preparations differ greatly from restaurant to restaurant. They say that you can tell how well a restaurant is doing by which Hikarimono they serve. This may be why many restaurants make sure to work hard on their Hikarimono.

Tachiuo really does look like a sword from the outside, so it seems like it should be classified as Hikarimono, but it’s actually Shiromi. In the sushi restaurant sector, Hikarimono refers to sushi toppings for which Sujime is used in the preparations. Furthermore, there are chefs who classify Shima aji as Hikarimono when the silver skin is left on, and Shiromi when the skin is removed. There are many people finding it hard to eat but it is actually healthy and rich in nutritive value.

*Japanese terms will be italicized on sushi ingredients page.

<Hikarimono － Silver-skinned fish>

Aiburi－Blackbanded trevally (Seriolina nigrofasciata (Rüppell, 1829))

Aji (Maaji) － Japanese horse-mackerel

Akaaji－(Decapterus akaadsi Abe,1958)

Aogisu－Small-scale sillago (Sillago parvisquamis Gill, 1861)

Ayu － Ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis (Temminck and Schlegel, 1846))

Burimodoki－Pilot fish (Naucrates ductor (Linnaeus, 1758))

Chika－ Smelt (Hypomesus japonicus (Brevoort, 1856))

Datsu－Pacific needlefish (Strongylura anastomella (Valenciennes, 1846))

Ebodai－ Japanese butterfish

Etsu－Japanese grenadier anchovy (Coilia nasus Temminck & Schlegel, 1846)

Gingameaji－Big-eye trevally (Caranx sexfasciatus Quoy and Gaimard,1824)

Gomasaba－ Spotted mackerel (Scomber australasicus Cuvier, 1832)

Hamadatsu－Flat needlefish (Ablennes hians (Valenciennes, 1846))

Hamo －Daggertooth pike conger

Hatahata － Japanese sandfish (Arctoscopus japonicus (Steindachner, 1881))

Hira－Chinese herring, Slender Shad (Ilisha elongata (Anonymous,1830))

Hiiragi－Spotnape Ponyfish (Nuchequula nuchalis (Temminck & Schlegel, 1845))

Ikekatsuo－Doubledotted queenfish (Scomberoides lysan (Forsskål, 1775))

Indookiaji－Sixband brown jack (Uraspis uraspis (Günther, 1860))

Itohkiaji－Giliated threadfish (Alectis ciliaris (Bloch,1788))

Iwashi － Sardine

Kagishimanigisu－Smallmouth argentine (Argentina kagoshimae Jordan & Snyder, 1902)

Kaiwari － Whitefin trevally

Kamasu (Akakamasu)－Barracuda (Sphyraena pinguis Günther, 1874)

Karafutoshishamo － Capellin, Lodde (Mallotus villosus (Müller, 1776))

Kasugo (Chidai, Kidai)－Baby Red sea-bream (Crimson sea-bream, Eellowback sea-bream)

Kibinago － Banded blue-sprat (Spratelloides gracilis (Temminck & Schlegel, 1846))

Kisu － Japanese whiting (Sillago japonica Temminck & Schlegel, 1843)

Kobanaji－Smallspotted dart (Trachinotus baillonii (Lacepède,1802))

Kohada － Gizzard shad

Kuroajimodoki－Black pomfret (Parastromateus niger (Bloch,1795))

Kurohiraaji－Blue trevally (Carangoides ferdau (Forsskål, 1775))

Kusayamoro－Mackerel scad (Decapterus macarellus (Cuvier, 1833))

Kyuriuo － Arctic smelt (Osmerus dentex Steindachner & Kner, 1870)

Okiaji－White tongued crevalle (Uraspis helvola (Forster, 1801))

Okizayori－Hound needlefish (Tylosurus crocodilus subsp. crocodilus)

Mamakari (Sappa) － Big-eye sardine (Sardinella zunasi (Bleeker, 1854))

Maruaji － Amberfish

Maruhiraaji－Coastal trevally (Carangoides coeruleopinnatus
(Rüppell, 1830))

Marukoban－Snubnose pompano (Trachinotus blochii (Lacepède,1802))

Minamiikekatsuo－Needlescaled queenfish (Scomberoides tol (Cuvier, 1832))

Moro－Cherootfish (Decapterus macrosoma Bleeker, 1851)

Muroaji － Amberstripe scad (Decapterus muroadsi (Temminck and Schlegel, 1844))

Nigisu － Deep-sea smelt (Glossanodon semifasciatus (Kishinouye, 1904))

Nishin － Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii Valenciennes, 1847)

Okihiiragi－Offshore ponyfish (Equulites rivulatus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1845))

Saba － Pacific mackerel

Sanma － Pacific saury

Sayori － Halfbeak

Seitakahiragi－Common ponyfish (Leiognathus equulus (Forsskål,1775))

Shinko － Baby Gizzard shad

Shirogisu－Japanese whiting (Sillago japonica Temminck & Schlegel, 1843)

Shishamo － Smelt, Shishamo smelt (Spirinchus lanceolatus (Hikita, 1913))

Sprat－ European sprat (Sprattus sprattus (Linnaeus, 1758))

Tachiuo－Largehead hairtail , Cutlassfish, Scabbardfish (Trichiurus lepturus Linnaeus, 1758)

Taiseiyousaba－Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus Linnaeus, 1758)

Tenjikuaji－Coachwhip trevally (Carangichthys oblongus (Cuvier, 1833))

Tenjikudatsu－Black-finned longtom (Tylosurus acus subsp. melanotus (Bleeker, 1850))

Tobiuo － Japanese flyingfish (Cypselurus agoo (Temminck and Schlegel, 1846))

Yoroiaji－Longfin trevally (Atropus armatus (Forsskål 1775))

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We hope this information will be helpful.

Revision date: June 14, 2024

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