Red sea bream

Pagrus major, the northwest Pacific seabream the Japanese call madai, a fish of celebration commanding premium prices. Its sweet, finely textured flesh graces sashimi, sushi, and whole-fish festive presentations, and it is traded live, fresh, frozen, and spice-cured, with aquaculture supplementing wild catch in coastal waters. Premium value demands impeccable freshness from harvest to plate, and precise species labeling guards against substitution by lesser seabreams trading on the name. Auction markets grade it rigorously, with top specimens destined for sashimi counters.