blue-green snapper (Aprion virescens) - Hawaii Seafood

Uku<br />

<strong>blue</strong>-<strong>green</strong> <strong>snapper</strong> (<strong>Aprion</strong> <strong>virescens</strong>)<br />

Blue <strong>green</strong> <strong>snapper</strong> is<br />

commonly known as the uku in <strong>Hawaii</strong><br />

and grey jobfish in other parts<br />

of the world. Most of the uku catch<br />

is between 4 and 18 pounds round<br />

weight. Uku less than 1-2 pounds or<br />

over 30 pounds are rarely caught.<br />

Seasonality & How<br />

They Are Caught<br />

Availability and Seasonality:<br />

Although uku is caught year round<br />

in <strong>Hawaii</strong>, the greatest availability<br />

is during its spawning season (May-<br />

July).<br />

Fishing Methods:<br />

Uku is harvested mostly with vertical<br />

hook-and-line gear however it is<br />

the only <strong>snapper</strong> in <strong>Hawaii</strong> regularly<br />

caught near the surface with trolling<br />

lures. Among the three most popular<br />

deepwater <strong>snapper</strong> species in<br />

<strong>Hawaii</strong>, uku occurs at the shallowest<br />

depths, usually no deeper than<br />

360 ft.<br />

The summer uku season is entirely<br />

out of phase with the winter peak<br />

for other deepwater <strong>snapper</strong>s (opakapaka,<br />

onaga).<br />

The bottomfish fishery in <strong>Hawaii</strong><br />

is basically divided into the Northwestern<br />

<strong>Hawaii</strong>an Islands (NWHI)<br />

and the main <strong>Hawaii</strong>an islands. The<br />

fisheries are undergoing change.<br />

The establishment of the National<br />

Monument in the NWHI has set in<br />

motion, the phasing out of the sustainable,<br />

NWHI limited-entry bottomfish<br />

fishery. The main <strong>Hawaii</strong>an<br />

Islands fishery remains under<br />

intensive management with an annual<br />

commercial catch limit on certain<br />

species. However, the uku catch<br />

is not under a catch limit due to its<br />

abundance. At the same time, the<br />

restrictions on the NWHI bottomfish<br />

fishery greatly reduce the supply<br />

of this important fish.<br />

Distribution:<br />

Fishermen sell uku through the<br />

Honolulu fish auction, through intermediary<br />

buyers on the major islands,<br />

and directly to retail fish markets<br />

and restaurants.<br />

Product Forms and Yields:<br />

Virtually all of the uku catch is landed<br />

as whole, iced fish.<br />

When properly cared for, uku has<br />

a long shelf life, comparable to that<br />

of opakapaka. Uku fillets are often<br />

sold to up-scale restaurants. The<br />

yield of fillet from a whole fish is<br />

about 45%.

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Quality<br />

Color, Taste, Texture:<br />

Like other <strong>snapper</strong>s from <strong>Hawaii</strong>,<br />

uku<br />

uku is<br />

Preparations<br />

Uku is excellent prepared bake,<br />

broiled, sautéed, steamed and raw.<br />

Uku harvested during the summer<br />

season is often rich in natural fat, a<br />

desirable attribute for sashimi.<br />

very delicate opakapaka. While<br />

sashimi from opakapaka and onaga<br />

are more common, uku sashimi is<br />

thought to be one of the most under<br />

rated and underappreciated species<br />

<strong>Hawaii</strong> <strong>Seafood</strong> Council<br />

Acknowledgement: produced with support from NOAA<br />

www.hawaii-seafood.org