Butterfish

The Butterfish: From Spawning to Dinner Plate

The butterfish, also known as the Pacific ocean perch (Peprilus simillimus), is a species of flatfish known for its mild, delicate, and buttery flavor. Found mostly in the North Pacific Ocean, this fish is a popular commodity in Japanese and Western cuisine, due to its pleasant texture, light flavor, and minimal scales. But before it can make it from the sea to the dinner plate, the butterfish must make its way from spawning ground to marketplace. This article will explore the butterfish's journey from spawning to dinner plate, highlighting the unique life story of the butterfish and the necessary steps that must be taken for it to become an edible dish.

Spawning

The butterfish, as with many fish species, is a carnivorous, benthic (bottom-dwelling) species of fish. Though they are found primarily in the North Pacific Ocean, they can also be found in Japan, China, and the South Pacific Ocean. Spawning typically begins in the late spring and lasts through mid-August in the Northeastern Pacific and off the coast of California. During this time, adult butterfish lay their eggs in shoals with open water, usually over larger areas of rock or sand. The eggs are extremely buoyant and hatch in the open ocean, after living a “pelagic” (open water) life for up to four weeks.

Early stages of growth

Once the eggs hatch, the butterfish enter a larval stage and begin to swim towards deeper waters as they develop. During this time, they are extremely vulnerable and can fall victim to a variety of potential predators. In order to reduce their risk of predation, butterfish larvae will often settle in a range of habitats — from estuaries, mangroves, and estuaries to open ocean sea grass beds. Here, they will feed on a variety of prey, including plankton, shrimp, and small fish.

Once they reach a certain size, typically 1.3 to 1.6 inches (3–4 centimeters), butterfish will move to the pelagic-neritic (pelagic-benthic) zone of the ocean, which begins around 60 to 330 feet (18–100 meters) below the surface. Here, they continue to feed on a variety of prey, including krill, shrimp, and small fish, until they reach adulthood.

Adulthood

Once they reach adulthood, the butterfish will continue to live in deep water near the bottom of the ocean. Here, they prowl for their food, searching for mollusks, crustaceans, and other benthic organisms. Though they are found in deeper waters during this phase, adult butterfish can still be found near the surface to feed during the night hours.

Fishing

This brings the mating, spawning, and growth of the butterfish full circle. Now, these fish are ready to be fished and moved from the ocean to marketplaces. For hundreds of years, butterfish have been harvested using a variety of fishing methods. In Japan, for instance, butterfish are fished in large amounts using purse seines, a type of net often employed in the commercial fishing industry. In the United States and Canada, trawling (a method of fishing with a large net dragged along the ocean floor) is the most common form of harvesting butterfish.

Processing

Once they have caught the butterfish, fishermen will typically transport them to shore and store them in refrigerated trucks or ships before they make it to the processor. Here, the butterfish will be sorted by size, quality, and grade before they are processed. Processing may include salting, curing, freezing, smoking, and canning — all of which help preserve the butterfish for market.

Shipping and marketing

Once butterfish have made it through processing, they are then packaged for shipment and moved to marketplaces. This is typically done via refrigerated trucks, where the butterfish are stored at temperatures between 0 and 4 °C. Once they have been shipped, they will be displayed in supermarkets, fishmongers, and so forth. Here, the butterfish is typically sold fresh, frozen, or preserved in a can.

Enjoying butterfish

Once the butterfish has made it through processing, shipping, and marketing, it is now ready to be enjoyed by dinner patrons. This fish is typically cooked using light methods, such as steaming, shallow-frying, steaming in miso, or grilling over coals. Butterfish can also be enjoyed raw, as it is in many Japanese Izakayas (taverns).

Final thoughts

In summary, the butterfish makes an incredibly fascinating journey fromspawning ground to dinner plate. Its delicate, buttery flavor and pleasant texture makes it a favorite among Japanese and Western consumers alike — whether it is enjoyed fresh, frozen, or preserved in a can. The journey that it takes for it to reach dinner plates is a magnificent display of nature’s life cycle, culminating in the satisfaction enjoyed by dinner patrons all over the world.