Albacore (or tombo ahi) is a ?best choice? when caught in U.S. waters with the troll or pole-and-line method. Albacore should be avoided when caught with the longline, and North Atlantic albacore should also be avoided due to declining populations.

Albacore tuna is most commonly found canned, but Pacific caught albacore can be found fresh at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in the summer and fall. Albacore tuna lacks the deep ruby color of ahi tuna. Less firm, it is not considered ?sushi grade,? so it is not served raw like ahi, but it is extremely high in omega-3 fatty acids. There are many interesting preparations for albacore beyond the standard tuna salad. Fresh albacore can be pan-seared and served as an entrée or in salade niçoise.

Seabass is a loosely related group of fish, many of which are not actually members of the bass family, such as toothfish, rockfish, and croaker. Black seabass, available from Atlantic waters, is a true seabass. Chilean seabass (which is not a seabass but a Patagonia toothfish) has grown in popularity in recent years, and its sustainability varies depending on where it is raised. There are many illegal fishing activities in certain parts of the world due to high price and demand.

Pacific white seabass (which is actually a croaker) is caught locally in the Monterey Bay and is a ?best choice? when caught with a handline, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch. It is a lean, saltwater-dwelling fish with large flakes, suitable for cooking whole on the grill.

Cobia goes by many names, such as black kingfish, black salmon, or even lemonfish. Scientists don?t have a current estimate of the status wild cobia populations since the fish don?t travel in large schools like other species. Due to its solitary nature, cobia is rarely caught in the wild; rather, it is brought to market through offshore aquaculture nurseries or cages. China, Taiwan, and Vietnam are the world?s largest suppliers of cobia, but you should seek out U.S. cobia, which is generally farmed inland in well-managed closed recirculating systems.

Cobia has a firm texture and oil content similar to salmon, and is prized for having an exceptionally savory flavor. Grilling with a just a bit of lemon, garlic, and olive oil lets the fish?s natural flavor shine.

Flounder is a type of ?flatfish,? so named because both of its eyes are on one side of its head, giving it the appearance that it is lying face side up. Sanddabs, sole, turbot, and halibut are other types of commonly eaten flatfish. Subspecies of flounder can be found in Atlantic, European, and Pacific waters, but it is the Pacific flounder that is available at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.

Flounder sold to consumers is generally caught wild, not farmed. Wild populations of flounder are not depleted, but the trawling method used to catch them can cause a negative impact on the ocean floor. However, flounder is still rated as a ?good alternative? by the Monterey Bay Aquarium, since flatfish often live in sandy or muddy-bottomed areas of the ocean floor, thereby making their habitat less sensitive to trawling than rocky or reef areas.

Flounder has flaky, white flesh with a very mild taste, making it versatile for use in the kitchen. Pan-fried flounder is one of the most traditional and simple ways to cook a fillet, and it can also be stuffed, grilled, baked, and fried.

As members of the crustacean family, lobsters, crabs, and shrimp are all formed by three body segments (head, thorax, and abdomen) protected by a hard external exoskeleton. Lobsters are easily distinguished from their crustacean family relatives by their long bodies and large front claws.

Locally caught lobster is not widely available in California. The majority of lobsters are caught wild using one-way baited traps. While populations of wild lobster species in the Southern New England region are considered at risk and declining, American lobster populations in the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank are healthy and thriving. Lobsters are not easily farmed, due to their cannibalistic nature and slow maturation. Federal laws prohibit the farming of egg-bearing lobsters and lobsters under a certain minimum size.

Mackerel is similar to tuna, though smaller in size. Spanish, Atlantic, and King mackerel are sustainable when caught wild with a hook-and-line or by purse-seine method, by which the fish is encircled in a pouch-like net that cinches closed with weighted rings. However, the bottom trawl method of catching Atlantic mackerel in certain U.S. waters can cause habitat destruction.

Like tuna, mackerel is a fatty fish, high in omega-3 acids. Fatty fish tends to spoil quickly, so when buying fresh, it is important to cook soon after purchase. Mackerel can be grilled, fried, barbecued, or baked, and its oily flesh can also withstand other methods of cooking that more delicate fish can?t, such as smoking, pickling, or marinating.

Known as dorado in Spanish and common dolphinfish in English, this fish is most generally known by its Hawaiian name, mahi mahi. While mahi mahi is a target for many sport fishermen due to its strength and acrobatic capabilities (the names means ?strong? in Hawaiian), its quick maturation rate has helped make its population resistant to overfishing.

Mahi mahi is not locally caught in California. The fish is most sustainable when caught in U.S. waters via the troll or pole-and-line method. Strict regulation of longline fishing in the U.S. also makes domestic-caught mahi mahi an acceptable alternative. When caught by a longline method in poorly regulated international waters, mahi mahi is a fish to avoid, as longlines are responsible for entangling and often killing seabirds and marine mammals.

Mahi mahi can be used in nearly any style of cooking. It goes well in tropical-style recipes with bold flavors, such as ginger, lime, lemon, or mango or pineapple salsa.

Octopi have eight arms, with a hard beak and mouth at the centerpoint. They don?t have skeletons, which make them easy to prepare for cooking since you don?t have to worry about any bones! They are similar to squid (calamari) in texture but can?t be used interchangeably in recipes. Octopus is usually boiled before being cooked to tenderize the meat of its thick, solid arms.

There are more than 300 types of octopi. They are usually marketed under the common name octopus, and it is rare to see information about the specific species listed. Octopus caught using the bottom trawl, trapping, or diving and hand-capture method (resulting in relatively low bycatch and habitat damage) from the Gulf of California, Hawaiian, and Spanish fisheries is more sustainable. Avoid octopus caught from Mauritania, Morocco, the Philippines, and Vietnam, as little is known about the management of those fisheries, such as the overall size of the octopus population and the efficiency of the methods used to catch them.

In the Mediterranean, octopus  is paired with regional flavors, such as lemon, tomato, and parsley, and grilled or stewed. In Asia, it may be usd in sushi or salads, and Spanish cultures serve it in paella or pulpo gallego, a tapas-style dish with octopus and potato.

 

Opah, or moonfish, has become a vital part of the local Hawaiian fishing economy, though it has not reached the same popularity on the mainland. Scientists know very little about its biology and ecology for several reasons: it is not very commercially popular; it lives in the deep ocean; and unlike most fish, it travels individually rather than in large schools.

There is no directly managed fishery for opah; rather, it is caught incidentally by fisherman using the longline method to catch tuna, or in gillnets targeting swordfish. The opah?s elusiveness does make it highly valuable, and demand has started to rise for this underutilized fish. Since little is known about the population, and international longlining is not well regulated, imported opah should be avoided.

As with tuna and swordfish, opah is a fatty fish with a meaty texture. It needs little preparation to let the flavor shine and can be incorporated raw into sushi or sashimi.