Yellowtail Kingfish

Images courtesy of Clean Seas Tuna

Yellowtail Kingfish has white, firm flesh and is renowned for its high level of Omega 3 and other beneficial fatty acids. It is a large, pelagic fish, which presents similar challenges and potential solutions in breeding Southern Bluefin Tuna.

In southern Japan, approximately 180,000 tonnes per annum of the three principal species of kingfish are farmed. Seriloa lalandi - the species produced in Australia - is purse seined as juveniles in the South China Sea and are then transported to southern Japan for grow-out. The farmed Japanese Kingfish are then sold into the sashimi and fine-dining restaurant markets.

Research shows that the Yellowtail Kingfish is ideal for mariculture programs because it is robust and hardy, fast-growing and, most importantly, tastes good. Trial shipments of the flesh from Western Australia to overseas countries have received very favourable reports.

The Japanese have been culturing similar species for decades and the kingfish is very much sought after for the sashimi market. The firm flesh keeps well under refrigeration and, unlike many types of fish, develops an even sweeter taste 24 hours after harvest. The Japanese usually farm this type of fish by catching juveniles and rearing them in seacages until market size.

For more information visit:

www.fish.wa.gov.au/wf/articles/YellowTailkingFish.php?0405

www.cleanseastuna.com.au