Yellowtail Kingfish

Three names, similar fish

The “yellowtail kingfish” label gets tangled across regions:

• Australia / New Zealand — Seriola lalandi, locally called kingfish or yellowtail; large fast pelagic fish.
• Japan — closely related Seriola quinqueradiata called buri (winter) or hamachi (farmed).
• United States / California — same S. lalandi, locally just yellowtail; not the same as yellowfin tuna.

All are firm-fleshed pelagics with a streak of yellow along the lateral line and rich, slightly fatty meat.

Hamachi at the sushi counter

Yellowtail kingfish is the most common sushi-grade fish behind tuna and salmon. Hamachi (younger, smaller, farmed) and buri (older, wild, winter-fattened) appear in nigiri, sashimi, and the popular hamachi crudo dishes that have spread to Western fine-dining menus. The fat content rises sharply in winter, making cold-season hamachi more prized.

Aquaculture

Australia, Japan, and the Netherlands all run commercial yellowtail kingfish aquaculture. The species grows fast, accepts pelleted feed, and tolerates cooler water than most farmed pelagic fish. This makes it one of the few large open-water predators that’s economically viable to farm at scale.

Cooking

Beyond raw preparations, yellowtail responds well to searing (kingfish steaks with lemon and capers, common in Australian fish-and-chips shops) and grilling (Japanese teriyaki buri). The flesh dries out quickly, so it’s often served slightly underdone in the center.