Tripletail (Dai)

Introduction

The Tripletail-(Dai), A weirdly wonderful eating fish is not known to many. One of the rare fish of the Arabian Sea, Tripletail is a highly sought-after fish at the Karachi Fish Harbor for its distinctive amazing taste and mouthfeel.

The name tripletail-(Dai) comes from the fact that the large and rounded soft dorsal fin and anal fin extend far back on the body and closely resemble the tail in color and shape so that the fish might appear to have three tails.

The most characteristic and certainly one of the most unusual behaviors exhibited by Tripletail fish is the propensity to lie just below the surface, floating with one side exposed, looking for all intents, dead.

Flavor Profile

So what does Tripletail fish taste like? The short answer is that Tripletail fish taste similar to much other white meat fish. The Tripletail is typically a flatfish with decent fillets. The meat is firm, and the taste is similar to fish like the Red Snapper or the Hamour.

Nomenclature

• English Name: Tripletail
• Local Name: Dai
• Scientific Name: Lobotes surinamensis

Habitat

The Tripletail is found coastally in most tropical and subtropical areas. The tripletail is a semi-migratory pelagic fish. It is normally solitary, but under some conditions, the tripletail may form schools. The tripletail is often found around shipwrecks, supports of beacons, the pilings of jetties, and sea buoys.

Catching Method

The Tripletail is caught using bottom trawls, gillnets, and handlines.

Physical Attributes

The Tripletail has distinctively large and rounded soft dorsal, caudal, and anal fins. This characteristic gave rise to the common name. Lying on its side at the water surface, a young tripletail looks like a floating mangrove leaf.

Color

Adult Tripletail has drab, spotted, and mottled color patterns, in various shades of black, brown, and gray. Juveniles are mottled with yellow, brown, and black. Juveniles have white pectoral fins and a white margin on the tail.

Size

On average, Tripletail size range is 1 kg to 5 kg per fish. However, other sizes are also occasionally available.

Cutting Preferences

The Tripletail is preferred for slices and boneless meat.

Approx. Cutting Yields

• Whole: 100%
• Gutted: 80%
• Headless and Gutted: 73%
• Slices: 65%
• Boneless: 45%

Cooking Preferences

The Tripletail is preferred to deep fry, grill, curry, steam, and broil. Since Tripletail is such a soft and flakey fish, it must be handled carefully and should not be overcooked.

Health Benefits

• Heart friendly
• Lowers Blood Pressure
• Improves Immune System
• Strengthens the bones
• Improves Skin and Hair health