The Pacific saury is a slim, silvery ocean fish that travels the North Pacific in huge schools, as far east as the Gulf of Alaska and the waters off the US West Coast. It is the classic fall fish in Japan, grilled whole with salt, but federal rules bar boats from targeting it off the West Coast, partly to protect small forage fish as food for larger animals. It is also called mackerel pike.
Appearance
- Appearance
- A long, slender fish with a small pointed beak and a row of tiny behind the dorsal and anal fins. The back is dark green to blue, the sides have small bright blue spots, and the belly is silver. Most caught fish are 10–12 in (25–30 cm); the largest reach about 16 in (40 cm).
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Open ocean
- Ocean surface
- Range
- Across the North Pacific, from China, Korea, and Japan east to the Gulf of Alaska and south to Mexico.
- Preferred conditions
- Offshore surface waters, usually around 59–64 °F (15–18 °C).
- Migration
- A highly migratory fish that moves long distances with the seasons.
Behavior
- Diet
- Tiny drifting animals such as , krill, and amphipods, plus fish eggs and larvae.
Life cycle
- Reproduction
- Its eggs have sticky threads that attach them to floating seaweed and other drifting objects. Young saury also shelter around drifting seaweed.
- Lifespan
- Usually 1–2 years, with the oldest recorded at about 4 years.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
- Threats
- Catches in the western Pacific have dropped sharply since about 2010, as the fish shifted farther offshore into waters with less food.
More species to explore
Record what you meet and build your own collection
Your photos are kept with their date and place, and you can fill regional albums one species at a time.