Dispatch Method:

The eating qualities of yellowtail kingfish are greatly improved if they are killed immediately by iki jime or a firm knock to the head before placing them in an ice slurry after bleeding. Yellowtail kingfish can be very energetic and therefore hard to handle. A firm knock on the head may be easier to implement to stun the fish first before attempting iki jime.

Fish Description:

• Kingfish have a streamlined torpedo shaped body that tapers to a strongly forked tail.
  
• Their body is greenish-blue above, silvery-white below, with a yellow tail and a yellowish stripe through the eye and along the midline of the body.

Fish Distribution:

• Kingfish are a widely distributed species with a circumglobal distribution in sub-tropical and temperate waters.
  
• In Australia they occur in coastal waters and offshore reefs throughout the southern half of the country.
  
• Kingfish are pelagic species that can be found at depths betwen 0-50 m, although they have been taken below 300 metres.
  
• Juveniles recruit to floating objects while adult kingfish live around rocky reefs, and dropoffs.
  
• Kingfish are a fast growing species. Males can mature in their first or second years at 45-50 cm long, while females take 3-4 years to mature at between 75-90 cm long.

Fish Size Common Length:

40-90 cm (18-32 inches), maximum size 250 cm (8 feet 4 inches) and 96+kg (211 lb).