Fish
Traditional sushi is based on a variety of fish. Maguro or tuna is perhaps considered the most important sushi fish (but we are boycotting it, are we not?), being both soft having a fatty consistency and a meaty taste and look. Other traditional fish include hirame (brill), hamachi (yellowtail), and suzuki (sea bass). Oily fish such as aji (horse mackerel) and saba (mackerel) are served with the skin on. Sake (salmon, pronounced sha-ke) is not a common sushi fish in Japan, but is popular elsewhere in the world. All of the above can be found as nigiri sushi or chirashi sushi, with maguro also used in hosomaki to make tekkamaki.

Shellfish
Hotategai (scallop), mirugai (gaper), torigai (cockle), and akagai (ark shell) are generally served raw. Awabi (abalone) can either be served raw or steamed in broth and sake. The popular sushi shellfish ebi (prawn) is usually lightly boiled, although the ama-ebi or sweet prawn is good served raw. All are served as nigiri sushi, and some as chirashi sushi.

Fish roe
Fish roe for sushi is often served as gunkan maki. These might include ikura (salmon roe), tobiko (flying fish roe) and the prized uni or sea urchin roe, which is one of the most expensive sushi ingredients. One exception is kazunoko, where wedges of preserved herring roe are served as nigirizushi. Tobiko are also sometimes used as ingredients in different types of more modern fusion makis.

Other types of seafood
Other main kinds of seafood used in sushi are tako (octopus) and ika (squid), served as nigiri sushi. The former is always served cooked, while the latter is generally eaten raw. Unagi (eel) is also very good, and is grilled with a sweet sauce before being served as nigiri sushi or as part of a fusion type maki. Denbu, white fish or shrimp that has been boiled, parched, seasoned and coloured pink, is often used in futomaki and chirashi sushi.