A giant of a bluefin tuna, weighing 754 pounds (342-kilogram) earned a record 32.49 million yen, that's almost $396,000, in Tokyo on Wednesday, in the first auction of 2011 at the world's largest wholesale fish market.
The price for this big catch beat the previous record set in 2001 when a 445-pound (202-kilogram) fish sold for 20.2 million yen.
"It was an exceptionally large fish," said the official, Yutaka Hasegawa. "But we were all surprised by the price."
The massive tuna was bought by the same pair that won the bidding for last year's top fish: the owners of Kyubey, an upscale sushi restaurant in Tokyo's Ginza district, and Itamae Sushi, a casual, Hong Kong-based chain.
Hong Kong entrepreneur Ricky Cheng after his big win, which reflects the growing popularity of sushi around the world, particularly in Asia.
"I was nervous when I arrived in Tokyo yesterday, but I am relieved now," he said after the auction, which began shortly after 5 a.m.
The giant tuna, caught off the coast of northern Japan will run about $526 per pound.
Japan is the world's biggest consumer of seafood, with Japanese eating 80 percent of the Atlantic and Pacific bluefins caught.
The two tuna species are the most sought-after by sushi lovers.
Fatty bluefin — called "o-toro" here — can sell for 2,000 yen ($24) per piece at high-end Tokyo sushi restaurants.
