The season's first auction for Tiger blowfish took place Monday in western Japan.
Up for sale were 220 pounds of natural blowfish and three tons of farm-raised ones.
As usual, auction participants negotiated the prices using hand signals inside a black cloth.
Wild blowfish fetched up to $420 per pound, down about $50 from last year amid a decrease in businesses handling the product due to the coronavirus.
Blowfish is a winter delicacy prepared by licensed chefs who carefully remove its poisonous parts.
