The Japanese sea bass (Lateolabrax japonicus) is a species of catadromous marine ray-finned fish from the Asian sea bass family Lateolabracidae which is found in the Western Pacific. In Japan this species is known as suzuki(鱸).
The Japanese sea bass has a slightly forked tail and a large mouth which has the lower jaw protruding beyond the upper jaw. The young fish have small black spots on the back and dorsal finwhich tend to lost in larger fish. Its body has 12 to 15 spines in the first dorsal followed by 12 to 14 soft rays in its second dorsal. The anal fin has 3 spines and 7 to 9 soft rays. The maximum recorded total length is 102 centimetres (3.35 ft), although the more common standard length is 16.1 centimetres (6.3 in) and the maximum published weight is 78.7 kilograms (174 lb).
This species is important commercially, popular as a game fish, and farmed.