John Dory is prized in professional kitchens for its refined flavor and versatility. With its delicate sweetness and firm, pearlescent flesh, it lends itself to precision and restraint—ideal for techniques that highlight purity and texture. Its natural elegance holds center stage without needing to compete, making it a favorite for dishes where balance, nuance, and subtle depth are key.

It has a large dark spot on each side of its oval, flat body and long spines on its dorsal and anal fin. The myth is that St. Peter caught the John Dory and left his fingerprints, which are known as the dark spots on the fish. Due to a distressing noise the fish made while being caught, St. Peter tossed the John Dory back to sea. John Dories are usually solitary fish caught as bycatch in trawls.  The flesh is sweet with a finely textured medium flake. Dory fillets are very delicate.  John Dory is trawl caught. In the United States John Dory is a bycatch fishery. It is not a targeted species. New Zealand’s John Dory fishery is managed by strict quotas, which allow only a set amount of John Dory to be taken commercially each year based on population surveys and historical harvests.