Sushi and sashimi are popular ways to eat fish, Japanese-style. Sashimi is simply raw fish served by itself, and sushi is the fish with a bit of sushi rice. Here is a listing of what common Japanese fish names for sushi and sashimi are, and their descriptions.
Image above is maguro with masago. Courtesy FishStockPhoto.com
Maguro
Tuna - Raw tuna. This is one of the most popular raw fish items served in sushi restaurants. It is brightly colored, with a soft, creamy texture. It's meaty flavor makes it perfect with spicy sauces and accompaniments.
Toro
Tuna - Fatty belly part. This is a lighter color tuna than the maguro is. It is very rich, and very tender. It is also usually more expensive.
Shiro maguro
Tuna - albacore. This is the white-meat tuna, and while it is the same fish as the canned albacore tuna, since it is raw is not 'white'. The color is a dark to light pink, and is very soft in raw form.
Hamachi
Yellowtail fish. This is also known as 'amberjack', and makes a striking constrast to the typical and popular raw tuna, as the flesh is a golden color. It is mild flavored, and goes well with any number of sauces.
Katsuo
Bonito - or skipjack tuna. It is a dark colored-flesh fish, and has a very rich flavor, sometimes stronger than tuna depending on the fish and the season.
Sake
Salmon. Raw salmon is easily identifiable with the striking orange to orange-red color, and makes a nice contrast to other sushi fish on the plate. It is served many ways, depending on the sushi chef's menu.
Tai
Red Snapper - porgy. This is a light-pink colored fleshed fish, and a mild flavor. As typical to the red snapper when it's cooked, in its raw state it is also sweet.
Hirame
Halibut. While halibut is a white-fleshed fish, the raw version may be white to a light-pink colored fleshed sushi fish.
Suzuki
Sea bass. White fish that also makes a nice contrast to the redder colored sushi fish. It makes nice, fat flakes in the flesh and has a very mild flavor.
Saba
Mackerel fish. This is generally marinated, and is a strong flavored fish. While in the tuna family, it has a stronger flavor but with the nice, soft texture of a tuna.
Kohada
Herring - Japanese shad. This fish is generally served with the skin on for decoration (silvery-skin with black dots), and will be marinated in a vinegar base. Sometimes the skin will be cross-hatched (sliced in an X pattern) or simply sliced at a diagonal to show a bit of the flesh. The flesh will be a white colored. This fish is a strong-flavored sushi item, and will have different texture than the above raw fish since it is marinated.
Sources:
Eating at Japanese restaurants and experimenting, and the book below. If you are looking for a good sushi reference book, try Sushi by Mia Detrick. Read the review of the Sushi book for details.
Basic Fish Cookery - Ebook available.
Basic Fish Cookery is a guide to the best techniques for preparing fresh fish and seafood, including how to properly sauté, pan fry, poach, and oven bake.
