Top 10 Hairtail Species Ranking

Hairtail belongs to the family of Obelix in the order Scombridae, and is often called knife fish, named for its flat body shape and similarity to ribbons. In some areas along the Yellow Sea coast of China (such as Qingdao, Rizhao, etc.), it is also called "hair fish" or "sickle fish". Hairtail is widely distributed in warm and tropical waters around the world, with the largest number in the western Pacific and Indian Oceans. It is one of the four major marine products in my country. 

So, what are the types of hairtail? Common types include white hairtail, short hairtail, South China Sea hairtail, small hairtail, sand hairtail, Japanese hairtail, narrow-skulled hairtail, forktail, equal-fin forktail, and humped hairtail. Next, the editor has sorted out the top ten types of hairtail, let's take a look at their characteristics and differences.

1. White hairtail (annual production exceeds 500,000 tons/warm/tropical waters around the world)

White hairtail is the most common type of hairtail and is also an important economic edible fish. It is understood that white hairtail is widely distributed and mainly inhabits warm and tropical waters 1 to 400 meters deep around the world, including the waters around Taiwan. Except for the western part of Taiwan, there is a large amount of fishing in other areas, and the output is very considerable. The global annual production of white hairtail exceeds 500,000 tons, and the peak production period is usually in spring and summer.

White hairtail is large in size, with a whip-like and slender tail, a grayish-white dorsal fin, no pelvic fins and scales on the body, but a significant lateral line, a silvery-white body surface, and pale white dorsal and pectoral fins. The maximum body length of the white hairtail fish can reach 234 cm, and the meat is delicious. Larger white hairtail fish are often cut into pieces and sold, and can be fried, pickled or made into sashimi.

2. Short hairtail fish (body length about 54cm/Hainan, China)

Short hairtail fish, also known as Chinese short-tailed hairtail fish or Qiong hairtail fish, is a high-quality hairtail fish variety that is unique to my country. Short hairtail fish matures early, is small, has a slender and flattened body, a white dorsal fin, and is usually more than 54 cm long. It is a carnivorous fish that mainly preys on small fish, crustaceans and benthic mollusks.

Short hairtail fish is mainly distributed in the waters around Hainan Province. Although it is small in size, it tastes delicious and is more distinctive than ordinary hairtail fish. Compared with other hairtails, the scales of the short hairtail are smoother and more delicate, and the meat is thicker and firmer. It tastes rich, not woody, and has a natural sweet taste. Whether it is steamed or simply boiled in soy sauce, the short hairtail is very delicious.

3. South China Sea Hairtail (dorsal fin and pectoral fin light yellow/southern East China Sea/South China Sea)

South China Sea Hairtail, also known as yellowfin hairtail or golden hairtail, is a species of hairtail. It is mainly distributed in the southern East my country Sea and the South China Sea. In addition, it is also distributed in India, Indonesia, the Philippines and southern Japan. South China Sea Hairtail likes to live in the continental shelf waters with muddy bottoms near the coast. It is carnivorous and has a large appetite. It mainly feeds on small fish and crustaceans.

The South China Sea Hairtail (Trichiurus nanhaiensis) has yellow eyes and yellow fins. It likes to live in zoos and will move northward with the warm Kuroshio Current to the vicinity of Kyushu, Japan.

Its body is silver-gray, and its overall appearance shines with a stainless steel-like luster similar to armor. Its tail is relatively thick and short, and the iris of its eyes is golden yellow. Its biggest feature is that its dorsal and pectoral fins are light yellow. The meat of the South China Sea Hairtail is relatively rough and has a fishy smell. Therefore, it is recommended to marinate it before eating to remove the fishy smell, and then fry it, which will make the taste more delicate and crispy.

4. Small hairtail (body length 10-35cm/Indo-West Pacific)

Small hairtail is the smallest hairtail, with a common individual length of 10 to 35 cm. It is widely distributed in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean, and can also be found in the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, Bohai Sea and South China Sea in my country. It usually lives in shallow seas, brackish waters and estuaries near the coast. 

The interocular space of the small hairtail is obviously convex, with a ridge formed in the middle, the lateral line is almost horizontal, the upper curvature of the pectoral fin is not obvious, the pelvic fin is a pair of round scaly protrusions, and there is a scaly protrusion at the beginning of the anal fin. Compared with most hairtails, the small hairtail is smaller in size, but its meat is more delicate, tastes fresh and not fishy, the meat is thick and has few bones, and the taste is tender and delicious.

5. Sand ribbon fish (metallic blue body/Northern Indian Ocean)

Sand ribbon fish is a relatively unique species of hairtail fish, with a blue body that reflects a metallic luster. Sand ribbon fish has no pelvic fins and tail fins, and its maximum body length can reach 100 cm. It is mainly distributed along the northern coast of the Indian Ocean, east to Australia, north to Japan's Ryukyu, and my country's South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, and usually lives in waters 100 meters deep.

The meat of sand ribbon fish is very delicate and has no muddy smell. Whether it is fresh or frozen, it is very easy to process and can be paired with a variety of ingredients. Common cooking methods include stewing, steaming, frying, braising, and can also be used to make dry pot, hot pot, Western and Japanese cuisine and other flavors.

6. Japanese hairtail (Western Pacific/Northeastern Indian Ocean)

Which hairtail is the most delicious? Japanese hairtail is one of the species with excellent meat quality, and it is usually best eaten by frying or pan-frying. Japanese hairtail is mainly distributed in the eastern and northern parts of the western Pacific and Indian Oceans, and is also distributed in the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea in my country. They usually live in waters 20 to 50 meters deep, and can reach a maximum depth of 150 meters.

Japanese hairtail (Trichiurus japonicus) is a dominant species in the northwest Pacific Ocean. It prefers low temperatures, and climate warming may reduce its living range.

The spawning period of Japanese hairtail is generally from May to August each year, and the peak production period is from May to July. This type of hairtail has a slender body, with ribbon-like sides and a particularly long tail that tapers to a slender whip-like end. Its scales have degenerated, its caudal fin and pelvic fins are missing, its body is silvery white, the upper dorsal fin and pectoral fins are light gray with small black spots, its tail is darker, and its abdomen is gray-black.

7. Narrow-headed hairtail (narrow and long head/long snout/northern Indian Ocean)

Narrow-headed hairtail is one of the top ten hairtail species. It is a warm-water fish that is mainly distributed along the northern coast of the Indian Ocean, the Andaman Islands, the Red Sea, the Strait of Malacca, and my country's South China Sea, Taiwan Strait and East China Sea. They generally live on the muddy seabed at a depth of 50 to 70 meters. Narrow-headed cutlassfish are usually accidental catches of bottom trawling, longline fishing or tuna fishing. Although their fishing methods are not specific, their meat is delicious and edible.

Its appearance is characterized by a silvery-white body color, a dark back, and the most notable feature is its narrow and long head, with a slightly protruding top, a sharp front end, and a slender snout. The fish meat is tender and suitable for simple cooking methods such as steaming or braising, which can fully show its delicate taste. Common representative species of narrow-headed cutlassfish include striped narrow-headed cutlassfish, Bo's narrow-headed cutlassfish, big-eyed narrow-headed cutlassfish and Bo's narrow-headed cutlassfish.

8. Forktail Hairtail (body length can reach 2.1m/45°N-30°S sea area)

Forktail deep-sea hairtail fish, referred to as forktail hairtail fish, covers multiple species, including Atlantic forktail hairtail fish and West African forktail hairtail fish. Atlantic forktail hairtail fish is mainly distributed in tropical to temperate waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. It has a silver body color. The most notable feature is its forked tail. The body length can reach 210 cm.

West African forktail hairtail fish mainly inhabits the waters along the coast of western Africa, living at a depth of 20 to 500 meters. The body color is silver, and the gill cover is black. The body length can generally reach 43 cm. According to the editor's understanding, the forktail deep-sea hairtail fish is distributed in tropical and warm temperate waters around the world, especially around tropical areas. The spawning period is relatively long, mainly concentrated from April to June, followed by September to November.

9. Iso-finned forktail hairtail fish (copper-black body/Atlantic Ocean/Australia/Peru)

Iso-finned forktail hairtail fish is a fierce hairtail fish. Because of its copper-black body surface, it is sometimes called "black monster fish". There are two main types of this fish. The first is the intermediate iso-finned forktail hairtail fish, which is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean, usually living at a depth of 300 to 1350 meters. They are very slender, up to 100 cm, with very sharp teeth, and the whole body is black copper, even the mouth and gill cavity are black.

The second type is the black iso-finned forktail cutlassfish, which is mainly distributed in the waters east of Australia and Peru. It lives in waters as deep as 200 to 1,700 meters. It has large and sharp teeth, and the inside of its mouth is also black. Its body color is copper-black, and its body length can reach 110 cm.

10. Wretch cutlassfish (body length can reach 90cm/Indo-Western Pacific)

The wretch cutlassfish, also known as the narrow-skulled cutlassfish, is one of the ten most common cutlassfish. Its body is silvery white with irregular dark spots on the sides of its body. Its dorsal and pectoral fins are light gray with small black spots, and its tail is black. It can reach a maximum body length of 90 cm, with thick meat and a slightly fishy smell. It is usually eaten by frying or pickling.

The main distribution of hairtail is in the warm waters from the Indian Ocean to the western Pacific Ocean, including the Red Sea, the Mozambique Strait, and the Andaman Sea. It extends eastward to southeastern Australia and northward to the South China Sea, the East China Sea, and southern Japan. The production in Taiwan is mainly in the Penghu Sea. They usually live in waters close to the muddy bottom, like to move in groups, are greedy, and use small fish and crustaceans as their main food sources.

The top ten types of hairtail are based on the characteristics and quality of common hairtails, with reference to relevant information such as the public popularity of hairtails, and combined with other related rankings on the Internet for comprehensive recommendation. It is for reference only. If you have any questions, please comment/communicate at the end.

animal tags： Hairtail