Japanese horse mackerel
マアジ · aji
Trachurus japonicus
A schooling fish with a line of hard scutes near the tail. Small fish are popular sabiki targets; larger fish also take light jigheads.
Habitat and season
Harbours, coastal bays and offshore schools.
- Recorded fishing season
- May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov
- Scientific name
- Trachurus japonicus
- Japanese name
- マアジ
Months are a broad guide, not a current catch forecast. Region, water temperature and local closures can change the season.
Fishing methods
Sabiki fishing
A multi-hook rig imitates tiny prey while a bait basket releases a small trail of shrimp. Fish vertically at a permitted pier rather than swinging exposed hooks through a crowd.
Ajing — light lures for horse mackerel
Small jigheads and soft plastics let you search for horse mackerel at a precise depth. Current and fall time matter as much as lure colour.
Find places to fish
海坊主Ⅴ
Bigfin reef squid · Spear squid · Red seabream
Ishikawa · Fishing charter勝丸（塩屋港）
Red seabream · Yellowtail amberjack · Japanese horse mackerel
Tottori · Fishing charter第八達丸
Swordtip squid · Red seabream · Yellowtail amberjack
Kagoshima · Fishing charterMay’s Guide Service
Bigfin reef squid · Japanese horse mackerel · Red seabream
Practical guides
Cooking
Dishes and preparation →Compare related fish
Detailed Japanese species notes
尾びれの付け根に硬いウロコ「ゼイゴ」が並ぶのが特徴。体側には黄色みを帯びた線が見えることがあります。
ゼイゴや背びれで手を傷つけることがあるので、魚つかみがあると安心。
Full Japanese page, including available 3D model →