# What makes a fish sushi grade or sashimi grade?



## abefroman

What makes a fish sushi grade or sashimi grade?


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## suzanne

The imagination of the person trying to sell the fish. There are no such certified grades.


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## shroomgirl

hmmmm......paid alot for sashimi grade tuna and then charged alot for sashimi grade tuna. Never knew it was just plain old marketing.:lol:


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## ghettoracingkid

I thought that hte sushi/shahsmi grade was basiclly its cut, fileted and cryovaced as soon as the fish is cut/caught


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## abefroman

I also heard, the knife has to be cleaned after each cut for it to be sushi grade, not sure if thats true or not though. 

Sounds like it might just be marketing.


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## stir it up

AsianWeek.com


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## jeffaliscous

After reading the aritcle above i thought id coment

The restaurant i used to work at was pretty much just a seafood restaurant. We had a few steaks and one or two chicken dishes, and the rest of the menu was seafood.

Any fish that was grilled or sauteed was "fresh". Our tilapia and trout came in from a food suplier called PFG. Our salmon was farm rasied. Our bass, mahi, tuna, sword, grouper, chanchito, that was all sent in in loins on ice.

We also served an Ahi Tuna sashimi. That fish was sent in dry froven at 45 below, and we had a special freezer for it. There was no moisture, and when u touched it, it didnt feel cold at all, but if you were to drop on of the pieces, it would shatter into a million tiny tuna particles. What we would do, is take the pieces of frozen tuna, sit them in 110 degree water for 2 minutes, caot them in a teriyaki/egg yold mixture, then coat them in a black and white sesame seed blend, then deep fry them at 425 degree oil for 35 seconds and let them sit in the walk in overnight for service the next day. The restuarant was a corporate restaurant.

Just some food for thought.


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## luc_h

For home, make your own sushi grade fish (like steak tartar).

Buy a thick piece of the freshest fish you can get (Salmon, tuna). Cut it into a nice rectangle. 
Prep a strong sanitizing solution in a large glass so that the whole blade of your knife of choice fit in it. (1/4 cup of dishwasher powder per liter of water),

wash your hands. Sanitize a large cutting board. Place your piece at one end.
Cut away 1/4 inch off each perpendicular sides. Dip your blade and wipe clean before each cut. Cut the top off, dip and wipe. Turn your piece on a clean area of the board and cut away the last surface.

Use another sanitized board and your sanitized knife to cut you sushi pieces. Place in a bowl plastic wrap and place on ice. Use your fish ASAP.

Even with all these precautions things can still go wrong... probably that's why Sushi chefs in Japan require many many years of apprenticeship before becoming a master. (I never eat sushi at a joint where the cook barely looks over 18)

Use the cut away piece by making large dices. Pan fry with butter + seasonings and serve on a salad or on simple buttered, cream and garlic pasta.

Luc H.


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## bazza

The way I undersood it was that sashimi and sushi grade are the same thing and that any fish to be consumed raw must be eaten within 48 hours of being caught... Interesting article.


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## luc_h

Nice article.

Every food show or documentary I saw about large fish markets in Japan, tuna was always on display frozen. The whole fish is solid as a rock on a wooden skid. That's how it comes off the vessel. Before the auction, the tail is hacked off for buyers to inspect the flesh. These fish weigh several hundred pounds and go for many thousands $. 
As soon as it is purchased, the fish it thawed. <fish butchers> cut it up for resale to the sushi restaurants across the country.

(somebody can correct me on this but...) I think all commercial fishing operations flash freeze their catch. Flash freezing does not affect the texture of the flesh that much compared to home freezing. Obviously any fish sold live have never been frozen. Live fish are either from aquaculture or from smaller, non-automated, less commercial fishing operations.

Luc H.


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## kyheirloomer

Luc, not all commercial fish has been flash frozen.

Certainly a large proportion of the catch. And anything sold as frozen or previously frozen was FAS. 

There are, however, still many fishing ports where fish are landed fresh. That is to say, caught by smaller boats, either with nets or long lines, and iced down until a full load is available. 

Because of this, "fresh" fish can be as much as 4 days old before it hits the display case at the fishmonger. 

The fact is, though, that for most people, and certainly anyone living more than, oh, say, 100 miles inland, the "freshest" fish, in terms of flavor and texure, actually is FAS. Providing, of course, that it's defrosted correctly.


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## shroomgirl

there has been a HUGE jump in fish costs.....retail case at STL best fish monger had numerous offerings in the mid twenties....seems like last year the majority of them were in the midteens.

I had halibut for dinner last night.....made it a week ago for a priest luncheon.
YUMMMY


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## boar_d_laze

ALL food prices are up substantially, mostly because of the price of fuel in the United States . With fish, it's not only the boats but the air transport. And of course, foods depending on a variety of crops (not fish :crazy take a double whammy as they're affected by ethanol policy as well .

Why have oil prices risen high, with no end in sight? Don't get me started.  In November, you can do something to change it -- a little.

BDL


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## slowie

Yes Luc H things can still go wrong, especially if you are using salmon that has not been properly frozen. It's not about using the freshest fish, but flash frozen fish to kill any parasites. Preferably it should be frozen straight away. Salmon is one of the worst fish to use if you are unsure because it can carry a parasite called liver fluke.


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## chefedb

You are 100% correct. I will go further The only fresh fish today is one where you or a friend catch themselves. The rest are anywhere from 4 to 7 days old  before they even reach market.  In many cases like chicken they are FROSTED not frozen which means 2 or 3 degrees above the actual freeze  point  This extends the life of fish  or poultry for many  more days.


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## bigpatcooking

From Servsafe class today. 

A supplier must frezze fish that will be served raw or partilly cooked, such as sushi grade fish, for a specific period of time to kill any parasites that might be in the fish.


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## chefedb

That is correct 72 hour minimum is required. but even at that some parasites still could live . Thats why cooked fish is better first extreme cold then heat almost kills all.


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## toddnmd

BIGPATCOOKING said:


> From Servsafe class today.
> 
> A supplier must frezze fish that will be served raw or partilly cooked, such as sushi grade fish, for a specific period of time to kill any parasites that might be in the fish.


+1 based on my understanding.

It's a bit counterintuitive that sushi and sashimi grade is frozen first, but it makes sense that if it is frozen cold enough, and long enough (several days, I believe), that will kill any parasites.

So, fresh fish might taste better and fresher, but it's not safe for raw consumption.


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## toddnmd

BIGPATCOOKING said:


> From Servsafe class today.
> 
> A supplier must frezze fish that will be served raw or partilly cooked, such as sushi grade fish, for a specific period of time to kill any parasites that might be in the fish.


+1 based on my understanding.

It's a bit counterintuitive that sushi and sashimi grade is frozen first, but it makes sense that if it is frozen cold enough, and long enough (several days, I believe), that will kill any parasites.

So, fresh fish might taste better and fresher, but it's not safe for raw consumption.


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## chrislehrer

BIGPATCOOKING said:


> From Servsafe class today.
> 
> A supplier must frezze fish that will be served raw or partilly cooked, such as sushi grade fish, for a specific period of time to kill any parasites that might be in the fish.


I never know how these things are supposed to work. Does this mean that if you are running a restaurant, you are flouting the law if you serve raw fish that has never been frozen? No matter what kind of fish, its source, etc.? Or does ServeSafe not have this kind of legal binding?


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## sushinut

First, let me preface this by saying I'm the owner of SushiNut,  we sell "sushi grade fish", so that you know where the information is coming from.  Secondly, let me answer your question from an authority source, while trying to remain impartial.

Yes, "sushi grade", "sashimi grade", "sushi quality", or whatever you want to call it are marketing terms, rather than being determined by the FDA or any regulatory agency.  

However, please don't mistake these terms as being completely useless.  In the fish industry, we use "sushi grade fish" or any of the other terms as an indication that something is safe to be eaten raw.  In the case of fresh (never frozen) product, this would be product that has been bled correctly on the boat, stored on ice on the way back the the dock, and expedited to the warehouse for distribution.  We would identify and discard the fish if there are parasites, or "sashi" in Japanese, which are identifiable as pus pockets by experience fishmongers.  These internal requirements are what must be met for our industry to call something "sushi grade".  Please keep in mind that only pelagic fish (like tuna) are generally sold as fresh raw product, as non-pelagic fish tend to carry parasites.

On the frozen side, there are actual requirements for raw product.  However, these requirements are determined by certain US counties, rather than the federal government.  Be rest assured that all frozen product used for sushi is held to this standard, despite not being mandated in a specific county.  The county requirements specify that ALL fish used for sushi (excluding pelagic fish like tuna) must meet one of the following requirements to guarantee parasite destruction:

(1) Frozen and stored at a temperature of -20C (-4C) or below for a minimum of 168 hours (7 days) in a freezer.

(2) Frozen at -35C (-31F) or below until solid and stored at -35C (-31F) or below for a minimum of 15 hours.

(3) Frozen at -35C (-31F) or below until solid and stored at 20C (-4C) or below for a minimum of 24 hours.

In my experience, most wholesale suppliers of sushi restaurants choose the first option to guarantee parasite destruction.

I hope this sheds some light on the subject and helps people understand that "Sushi Grade" isn't totally meaningless, as the industry does mostly regulate itself.

Regards,

Eric Westman

Owner


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## jim golo

Why was that post removed? I though it was pretty informative, particularly from an insider in the seafood/sushi industry.


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## petemccracken

Post was removed by the original poster.


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## jim golo

hmmm.. Interesting. Thanks.


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## jim golo

Well, for those of you who missed out on Sushinut's reply about sushi grade fish, there is a writeup on sushifaq.com that explains the FDA's position on sushi grade fish and their recommendations. The info is at: http://www.sushifaq.com/sushi-sashimi-info/sushi-grade-fish/

It seems, basically, that there are no legal requirements and that while the FDA has guidelines, it's kind of a misnomer because there are no actual laws in this area.


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## counterillusion

The intent with the labeling is that "sushi grade" can safely be served without cooking to kill parasites and/or hazardous microbes, while fish not so labeled may not be safe to serve raw. This usually implies freezing for a certain length of time to kill the nasties. However, due to a marketing explosion based on the perceived value of the term and lack of laws regarding its use, this may not always hold true.

In practical terms: If you want to serve a fish raw or only lightly seared, the parasite destruction guarantee is what you need to have, for safety. If you're going to cook the fish, "ahi" or "sushi" grade fish won't make a difference, except to your wallet - this "grade" doesn't convey quality information, just how it was handled for safety.


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## ed buchanan

The FDA or USDA have no such classification. In fact they are now tellin g people only to use frozen seafood for safety sake.   The term clear is sometime used when purchasing fish for sushi.


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## vic cardenas

My local health dept. requires that ALL fish, besides a few certain exempt fish, be frozen under certain guidelines if used for sushi, sashimi, or ceviche. I served a Peruvian ceviche made from Dover Sole on my food truck. The HD required that I have a "parasite destruction form" (guarantee it was frozen properly) kept on file from all my purchases in the last 6 months. If I didn't have a form from the last 6 months, I'd be shut down. 

The list of exempt fish are...

Molluscan shellfish (oysters)
Tuna of the species:
Thunnus alalalunga
Thunnus atlanticus
Thunnus albacares (Yellowfin tuna)
Thunnus thynnus maccoyii (Bluefin tuna, Southern)
Thunnus obesus ( Bigeye tuna)
Thunnus thynnus (Bluefin tuna, Northern)
Some aquacultured fish such as salmon that are raised and fed under certain approved conditions.

So, if you're ever eating sushi in SLC, you can bet that anything not on this list was frozen.


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## michaelga

Vic Cardenas said:


> My local health dept. requires that ALL fish, besides a few certain exempt fish, be frozen under certain guidelines if used for sushi, sashimi, or ceviche. I served a Peruvian ceviche made from Dover Sole on my food truck. The HD required that I have a "parasite destruction form" (guarantee it was frozen properly) kept on file from all my purchases in the last 6 months. If I didn't have a form from the last 6 months, I'd be shut down.
> 
> The list of exempt fish are...
> 
> Molluscan shellfish (oysters)
> Tuna of the species:
> Thunnus alalalunga
> Thunnus atlanticus
> Thunnus albacares (Yellowfin tuna)
> Thunnus thynnus maccoyii (Bluefin tuna, Southern)
> Thunnus obesus ( Bigeye tuna)
> Thunnus thynnus (Bluefin tuna, Northern)
> Some aquacultured fish such as salmon that are raised and fed under certain approved conditions.
> 
> So, if you're ever eating sushi in SLC, you can bet that anything not on this list was frozen.


Pretty much this for most of the world.

People seem to confuse a lot of marketing terms... some terms 'actually' mean something ie. they are legaly binding but most aren't. Most terms don't have any force of law behind them and are therefore used at will.

Ironic thing is many of the most 'desired' are the ones not regulated.

fresh / natural / wholesome / (insert trademark) / free range / humane / hand caught / small batch etc. etc.


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## dobzre

"The imagination of the person trying to sell the fish." 

HA HA!!! Thats great!


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## chefedb

Reminds me of the use of the word Angus beef or Authentic Black .Angus.  MERELY A SELLING PLOY. . WE RAN TEST ON SOME OF IT AS OPPOSED TO CHOICE MEAT, COULD NOT DETECT ANY DIFFERENCES  EXCEPT PRICE.. It is a term used under license that you pay for in many ways.. Like Sushi Grade fish. The local health departments.. learned from the USDA re freezing fish. The cruise industry has been doing this for years, in fact freezing must be a minimum of 72 hours to insure death of all parasites.. That's the Law there are no exempt on cruise ships.


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## isuahi

abefroman said:


> What makes a fish sushi grade or sashimi grade?


In order for s


abefroman said:


> What makes a fish sushi grade or sashimi grade?


 in order for the fish to be considered 'sushi or sashimi grade' the fish has to be frozen for a certain length of time below -45. This effectively kills of any parasites that may be present in the fish.


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## petemccracken

See: http://www.sushifaq.com/sushi-sashimi-info/sushi-grade-fish/

or: http://www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety/Product-SpecificInformation/Seafood/default.htm


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## chefamerica

Sashimi is simply the freshest fish you can get cut into thin strips.


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## ed buchanan

Hype! Since there is no such legit term as sushi grade. In fact the USDA is trying to push a program that all fish be frozen for health purposes. This is to kill parasites that heat does not kill. Its already SOP on cruise ships and some rest chains.


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## subchef

Well, that answers my question!! Wish I had found this site earlier on in my career! Tons of great information and experience available./img/vbsmilies/smilies/peace.gif


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## sushi4life

Hi Sushi Lovers

If you live in the UK or Europe I highly recommend Kazari.co.uk.

They sell a wide selection "sushi / sashimi grade fish" which I'd truly vouch for.


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## praxis

ED BUCHANAN said:


> Hype! Since there is no such legit term as sushi grade. In fact the USDA is trying to push a program that all fish be frozen for health purposes. This is to kill parasites that heat does not kill. Its already SOP on cruise ships and some rest chains.


Does the freezing have to be a high speed (flash) freeze, or simply sufficiently cold? i.e. can I freeze salmon in my *-20 F* chest freezer and eat it without worrying about parasites?


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## tony balthazar

Hi peeps I've worked as a manager of a Japanese themes branded restaurant. I can tell you categorically there is no such thing as Sushi grade fish or Sashimi grade fish. 

There's only such a thing as a trusted supplier that you know will deliver you the freshest catch of the day of ...and a Chef that knows the difference... Or ain't getting any fish


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## justafisherman

TO BE SUSHI GRADE: 
Kill the fish like Joe Pesci's character kills Morrie in GOODFELLAS.... That being said, I do not recommend sushi grade Morrie

To be sushi grade the fish is bled out and killed within moments of being caught, using a tool (and process, by the same name) called Ike Jime. Many people will let their fish swim in a bucket of water or throw them alive on ice, the stress on the fish, causes lactic acid fermentation (the same thing which gives us athletic cramping), this not only lessens the shelf like of the fish, but also can give it a hint of undesirable bitterness (I've heard other fisherman describe it differently, but it is universally considered to hurt the flavor, however you describe it's' effect). What's more lactic acid is produced by consuming ATP in the muscles; a lack of ATP is what causes rigor mortis, and somehow I don't associate rigor mortise with fresh meat... In fish or humans (Wawaaa). So by bleeding the fish out ( through its brain) the fish is killed quickly, and suffering minimized, this not only causes less stress (and thereby less lactic acid), but the heart can pump for at least a few beats after brain death, pumping out blood through the brain cavity and leaving a higher percentage concentration of amino acids (which positively affects both the taste and nutrition of the fish). I know some fisherman who cut the throats of the fish, and while that may be preferable to merely allowing the fish to asphyxiated it the Ike jime method of puncturing the brain I believe to be superior because 1. It is the quickest method (thereby the most humane), leaving even less lactic acid (and more ATP) than merely cutting the throat and 2. By puncturing the brain, the excess blood is pumped out through the brain cavity, and the blood left in the body supposedly will provide a better color in the meat. I know some people who will try to stun the fish before puncturing the brain, but an untrained hand may end up merely roughing up a conscious fish before killing it, but if you know what your doing this May work well (personally I just use a knife or ice pick through the back of its head (if it's good enough for the Mafia, it's good enough for me). So to summarize a very long response to a short question TO BE SUSHI GRADE: 

Kill the fish like Joe Pesci's character kills Morrie in GOODFELLAS.... That being said, I do not recommend sushi grade Morrie


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## ssabal

sashimi explained

https://www.facebook.com/HawaiianFreshSeafood


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## chefedb

Flash freeze is best(Actually in many cases done at sea by factory ships) but yes you can do at 20 but be sure fish is extremely fresh to start.


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## ssabal

Flash freeze to minus 60 does nothing but kill potential parasites and create drip loss....not to mention breaking down the tissue make it less desirable.  In 1997 the FDA made this a regulation for every fish served raw except tuna.


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## cicchis0

shroomgirl said:


> hmmmm......paid alot for sashimi grade tuna and then charged alot for sashimi grade tuna. Never knew it was just plain old marketing.:lol:


It's not pure marketing, but it also isn't standardised in an easily quantifiable, objective manner. The grading process is somewhat of an art, but the experts that do the grading base it on well-defined principles. The Australian Tuna Handling Manual (https://seafood.net.au/downloads/PDF-PU033.pdf) has a pretty good description of the factors that affect the grading.


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## cicchis0

JustAFisherman said:


> TO BE SUSHI GRADE:
> Kill the fish like Joe Pesci's character kills Morrie in GOODFELLAS.... That being said, I do not recommend sushi grade Morrie
> 
> To be sushi grade the fish is bled out and killed within moments of being caught, using a tool (and process, by the same name) called Ike Jime. Many people will let their fish swim in a bucket of water or throw them alive on ice, the stress on the fish, causes lactic acid fermentation (the same thing which gives us athletic cramping), this not only lessens the shelf like of the fish, but also can give it a hint of undesirable bitterness (I've heard other fisherman describe it differently, but it is universally considered to hurt the flavor, however you describe it's' effect). What's more lactic acid is produced by consuming ATP in the muscles; a lack of ATP is what causes rigor mortis, and somehow I don't associate rigor mortise with fresh meat... In fish or humans (Wawaaa). So by bleeding the fish out ( through its brain) the fish is killed quickly, and suffering minimized, this not only causes less stress (and thereby less lactic acid), but the heart can pump for at least a few beats after brain death, pumping out blood through the brain cavity and leaving a higher percentage concentration of amino acids (which positively affects both the taste and nutrition of the fish). I know some fisherman who cut the throats of the fish, and while that may be preferable to merely allowing the fish to asphyxiated it the Ike jime method of puncturing the brain I believe to be superior because 1. It is the quickest method (thereby the most humane), leaving even less lactic acid (and more ATP) than merely cutting the throat and 2. By puncturing the brain, the excess blood is pumped out through the brain cavity, and the blood left in the body supposedly will provide a better color in the meat. I know some people who will try to stun the fish before puncturing the brain, but an untrained hand may end up merely roughing up a conscious fish before killing it, but if you know what your doing this May work well (personally I just use a knife or ice pick through the back of its head (if it's good enough for the Mafia, it's good enough for me). So to summarize a very long response to a short question TO BE SUSHI GRADE:
> 
> Kill the fish like Joe Pesci's character kills Morrie in GOODFELLAS.... That being said, I do not recommend sushi grade Morrie


Almost. An extra cut is made in a major blood vessel immediately after brain death (by iki jime) to bleed the fish while the heart is still pumping. In tuna, this cut is made in the pectoral fin recess. The entire process is comprehensively described in _Onboard Handling of Sashimi-Grade Tuna - A Practical Guide for Crew Members_ (http://www.spc.int/Coastfish/compon...4-onboard-handling-of-sashimi-grade-tuna.html).

I think it is good practice to immediately spike, bleed, gut and chill all fish that you catch, although I usually defer the gutting until the end of a recreational fishing session. A club is usually only required prior to iki jime for large fish that are either dangerous, such as Spanish mackerel (_Scomberomorus commerson_), or violently energetic, such as tuna. While mackerel and tuna are best spiked from the top, as described in the manual, differently shaped fish such as snapper are more easily spiked when lying on their side. It becomes easier to locate the brain on these fish with experience, but as a guide, both the eyes and the lateral line have major nerve connections to the brain, so midway between the eye and the foremost visible part of the lateral line is generally a good starting point. Immediately after spiking the brain, most fish are best bled below the gills. This isn't recommended for tuna, due to the likelihood of damaging the heart, which we want to remain intact to pump the blood out, and the accessibility of the major blood vessels in their pectoral fin recesses.


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