Barramundi Flavor Profile
Flavor | |||||||
![]() |
|||||||
Oil | |||||||
![]() |
|||||||
Texture |
Barramundi has flesh which is a pearly-pink when raw and white when cooked. It has firm flesh with large, moist flakes and a sweet, buttery flavor profile. The flesh has only a few bones which are large and easy to remove. Small fish have a milder taste than larger Barramundi. The skin is also edible and crisps up nicely.
Typical Wholesale Products
Live (limited availability), Whole, Fillets
Cooking Methods
- Bake
- Broil
- Deep-Fry
- Grill
- Poach
- Saute
- Smoke
- Steam
- Sushi
Alternate Names
Asian Sea Bass, Barra, Barramundi Perch, Bekti, Cockup, Giant Perch, Nairfish, Palmer, Silver Barramundi. The name Barramundi is Aboriginal for “large-scaled river fish.”
Sushi name: Akame
Note: Nile Perch is sometimes wrongly marketed as Barramundi.
Description (Lates calcarifer)
Barramundi are a member of the Sea Bass family. They are native to Australia and Southeast Asia and can be found primarily in fresh water, but they also are found insalt water and estuaries during migration. Barramundi fished from salt waters are longer, with a grey-green dorsal section, silvery-grey belly and yellowish fins. Those caught in fresh water rivers are more golden and wider. All Barramundi begin their lives as males, then at age 5 they become female. Market size fish average between 1.5 – 2 lbs.
Fresh Availability
Fresh seafood availability chart: green areas show peak availability, light green show limited availability, gray indicates not available fresh. Farmed Barramundi is available all year long.
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Butchering Yield Percentage and Recovery
Item | To Skin/On Fillets | To Skin/Off Fillets | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Whole Round (Head/On ungutted) | 38% | If you have yield info on this fish please comment below. |
Range & Habitat
Wild Barramundi are native to the waters of northern Australia and Southeast Asia. It is raised in aquaculture in Australia, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Israel, the Phillipines, Poland, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.
Sustainability Info
Name | Alternate Names | Catch Method | Catch Region |
Seafood Watch |
Ocean Wise |
Sea Choice |
Mercury Concerns? |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Barramundi Lates calcarifer |
Asian Sea Bass, Barra, Giant Perch, Nairfish, Palmer, Silver Barramundi | Farmed, Closed Recirculating | US | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
no |
Australia | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
no | |||
Farmed, Open-net Pen/Cage | Australia | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
no | ||
Southeast Asia | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
no | |||
Taiwan | ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
no | |||
Wild, Gillnet | Indo-Pacific | na | under review | na | no | ||
Disclaimer: The sustainability info above is accurate to the best of our knowledge. However, each program randomly updates their information without our knowledge. We therefore recommend that you verify the current accuracy of this information. | |||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() |
Updated Feb 2013 |
Nutritional Informationbased upon a 6 oz (171 grams) raw edible serving.
|
Suggested Reading