yellowtail-amberjack Species Facts
Science Name: Seriola lalandi
Other Names: white salmon
Description

The body of the yellowtail is elongate, somewhat compressed, tapering to the sharp snout and the slender tail. The head is more or less conical. The color is olive brown to brown above, with a dark streak along the side of the body. The fins are yellowish. Yellowtail are easily distinguished from other fishes by the darker horizontal stripe along the side of the body, as well as a deeply forked yellow tail.

Where to Find
Pacific Ocean

Habitat
Pelagic environment to depths of 228 feet.

Feeding Habits
Yellowtail feed primarily during the day and are opportunistic feeders, eating anything that is abundant in the area. Red crabs, anchovies, squid, and most small fishes are food items.

Tips for Cooking
Fish smaller than 8.2kg are good eating, but larger fish are coarse and tasteless. Often this species is subject to a condition called ‘milky-fleshed’. The flesh appears normal before cooking, but becomes soft, pulpy and unpalatable when cooked. This condition is caused by a parasitic protozoan living in the flesh of the affected fish. Yellowtail is often used for sashimi and is also good for smoking.

Tips for Fishing

Most yellowtail taken by anglers are landed on boats which anchor at spots where yellowtail are known to aggregate and then chum the fish to the boat with live anchovies. As the fish mill about the boat, anglers then use anchovies, mackerel or squid to catch them. Small boaters may take yellowtail by trolling jigs or feathers in areas where these fish occur.