Figure 1 . — Average species composition of Japanese tuna 

 fishery catches 1968-70. 



Figure 2. — Species composition of billfish landings in the 

 Japanese tuna fishery, 1968-70. 



These are prices at the Tokyo Fish Market where 

 about one-third of ail billfishes in Japan are landed. 

 Three classes are evident: the highest priced striped 

 marlin, the intermediate priced blue marlin, black 

 marlin, and swordfish, and the lowest priced sailfish 



1961 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 



Figure ?>. — The average prices of billfishes at the Tokyo 

 fish market. 1961-70. 



and shortbill spearfish. Billfish prices have generally 

 increased over the years, but the increases were 

 much more rapid after 1966, particularly for striped 

 marlin and, to a slightly lesser degree, for blue mar- 

 lin, black marlin, and swordfish. The prices for tunas 

 are not shown but for comparative purposes, bluefin 

 tunafT". thynnns) and southern bluefin tunafT. mac- 

 coyii) are even more expensive than the striped mar- 

 lin: bigeye tuna are somewhere between the striped 

 marlin and the intermediate priced group of bill- 

 fishes, and yellowfin tuna and albacore are between 

 the intermediate and lowest priced groups. In recent 

 years the billfish prices have become comparable 

 with those of tunas because of the way they have 

 come to be used in Japan. 



Although the billfishes are not used in canning as 

 are some of the tunas, their uses are very similar to 

 the highly valued tunas: as sashimi,^ sushi, ^ fish 

 steaks, and as ingredients for tisfi sausages and 

 hams. Because they are taken along with the tunas in 

 the longline fishery and are utilized in much the same 

 way as the tunas, these fish are frequently referred to 

 in Japan as the "kajiki-maguro" or "billfish tuna." 



The billfishes gained status as quality fish in Japan 

 following the 1954 Bikini bomb test. After the test 



'Thin slices of tuna, billfish or other seafood eaten raw. 



^Ball of rice marinated in a weak solution of vinegar, salt and 



sugar; often topped by small amounts of seafood. 



