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Amberjack
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Amberjack is generally the name for California Yellowtail or Yellowtail Kingfish which is wild caught off the California and Baja coast, or farmed in Mexico.  Amberjack has the tendency to have parasites.  Hiramasa is also a Yellowtail Kingfish but does not have a parasite tendency.

Amberjack Flavor Profile 

  Amberjack is a wild Yellowtail Kingfish and it has pale pink flesh with firm, large flakes and a sweet flavor.  Hiramasa is a sashimi grade farmed Yellowtail Kingfish which has a higher fat content, firmer texture and cleaner flavor than wild Yellowtail Kingfish (Amberjack).

Alternate Names

 Yellowtail Kingfish, Yellowtail Amberjack, Yellowtail, Hamachi, California Yellowtail, King Amberjack, Japanese Amberjack, Buri, Racing Tuna, Kahala 'opio (Hawaiian), Great Amberjack.

Amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata, Seriola lalandi) Description

Amberjack have elongated, moderately compressed bodies.  They have a slender head longer than their body depth and they have 31-34 dorsal fin rays.  They are generally blue, blueish-green or purplish green above and silver-white below.   Amberjack can be distinguished by their yellow caudal fins.  They can weigh up to 88 pounds.

Amberjack jpg

 

Amberjack Fresh Availability

Fresh seafood availability chart: green areas show peak availability, light green show limited availability, gray indicates not available fresh.  Frozen available all year long.

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
                                                                                               

 

 

Amberjack Yield Percentage and Recovery

Item To Skn/On Fillets To Skn/Off Fillets Notes
Whole Head/On gutted 63% 54%  
Whole Head/Off gutted 74% 62%  
Skin/On Fillets -- 84%  
 

 

Range & Habitat

 Amberjack refers to the wild Yellowtail Kingfish which is caught in California and Baja waters.  A farmed Amberjack is also available in Mexico.  All of these have a tendency to have parasites.

Amberjack Range & Location
AquaMaps    Data sources: GBIF OBIS

Typical Wholesale Products

  H&G, Fillets, Loins

Additional Culinary Notes

Snappers are a reef dwelling fish so there is the possibility of Ciguatera poisoning.  Ciguatera is caused by eating certain reef fishes whose flesh is contaminated with toxins originally produced by dinoflagellates associated with red tide.  Ciguatera cannot be destroyed by cooking.  Check with your vendor to avoid fish harvested from known hot spots.

Amberjack Recipes

Visit our recipe database page and search our favorite seafood recipe sites. 

 

Amberjack Sustainability Info

This window is a link to the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program info on Amberjack.

 

Amberjack Nutritional Information

based upon a 6 oz (171 grams) raw edible serving.

* Calories/Calories from fat 148
* Protein grams 40
* Fat grams 8
* Saturated fat grams 2
* Sodium milligrams 66
* Cholesterol milligrams 94
* Omega-3 grams  na
 

 

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