Pacific saury

The Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) is a member of the family Scomberesocidae. This saury, which is a food source in some East Asian cuisines, is also known by the name mackerel pike. It is known as sanma (さんま / サンマ / 秋刀魚) and saira (さいら / サイラ /佐伊羅) in Japanese, kkongchi (꽁치) in Korean, Pinyin: qiū dāo yú in Chinese (秋刀鱼 in Simplified Chinese or 秋刀魚 in Traditional Chinese), and saira (сайра) in Russian. The term saira used in its scientific name is the fish's local name in the Kii Peninsula region of Japan. The Kanji used in the Japanese name of the fish (秋刀魚) literally translate as 'autumn katana fish', in reference to its body shape, somewhat resembling a katana, and its peak season.This name was born in Japan and it was derived from Japanese to Chinese.The name saira also changed from Japanese (Wakayama dialect) to scientific name and Russian.Pacific saury are often imported to the United Kingdom where they are used as bait for pike and sea fishing. In the UK they are usually called blueys, possibly due to people confusing the Pacific saury with blue mackerel. It is a fish with a small mouth, an elongated body, a series of small finlets between the dorsal and anal fins, and a small forked tail. The color of the fish is dark green to blue on the dorsal surface, silvery below, and there are small, bright blue blotches distributed randomly on the sides. The average overall body length of a mature Pacific saury is 25 to 28 cm, and their maximum reported age is four years. These pelagic schooling fish are found in the North Pacific, from Korea and Japan eastward to the Gulf of Alaska and southward to subtropical Mexico; 67°N – 18°N, 137°E – 108°W, preferring temperatures around 15 – 18 °C. Pacific saury are usually found near the surface (though they may have a depth range of 0 – 230 m), and they are known to glide above the surface of the water when moving away from predators (a behavior that links them to the flying fish, a cousin of the saury family). The Pacific saury is a highly migratory species. Adults are generally found offshore, near the surface of the ocean, in schools. Juveniles associate with drifting seaweed. Pacific saury are oviparous. Eggs are attached to one another and to floating objects such as seaweed via filaments on the shell surface. The saury feeds on zooplankton, such as copepods, krill, amphipods, and the eggs and larvae of common fish, such as anchovies, due to their lack of stomach, and their short straight intestines. This is much different from its counterpart the Northern Pike. This is most likely due to the great size difference. A few of the natural predators of Pacific saury include marine mammals, squid and tuna. Pacific saury (often marketed as 'mackerel pike') are sought after by Chinese, Taiwanese, Russian, North Korean, South Korean, and Japanese fishermen. This fish has great economic importance where it is found.