Mebachi maguro, Bigeye Tuna

As its English and Japanese names suggest, this fish has quite large eyes, me. It swims in equatorial waters, migrating between latitudes 20 degrees north and 20 degrees south. Also red-fleshed, bigeye is generally a second choice to bluefin, which has a firmer texture and a milder flavor. Mebachi has an advantage, though, in that its color is slower to oxidize, so in Japan, this fish was once used for takeout nigiri-zushi, delivered from the restaurant by bicycle. In Japan, bigeye is caught in spring.