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The escolar, Lepidocybium flavobrunneum, is a snake mackerel, the only species in the genus Lepidocybium. It is found in deep (200–885 m) tropical and temperate waters around the world.

The escolar is dark brown in colour, growing darker with age until it is quite black. It is a fast-swimming fish with a prominent lateral keel and multiple finlets. It grows up to 2 m in length.

Like its relative the oilfish, Ruvettus pretiosus, the escolar is consumed in several European and Asian countries, as well as in the USA. Neither fish metabolises the wax esters (Gempylotoxin) naturally found in their diet, which causes an oil content in the muscle meat of the fish amounting to 18–21%. These wax esters may rapidly cause gastrointestinal symptoms following consumption; however, these effects are usually short lived.

The gastrointestinal symptoms, called "keriorrhoea", caused by these wax esters may include oily orange diarrhea, discharge, or leakage from the rectum that may smell of mineral oil. The discharge can stain clothing and occur without warning 30 minutes to 36 hours after consuming the fish. The oil may pool in the rectum and cause frequent urges for bowel movements due to its lubricant qualities and may be accidentally discharged by the passing of gas. Symptoms may occur over a period of one or more days. Other symptoms may include stomach cramps, loose bowel movements, diarrhea, headaches, nausea, and vomiting.

To minimize the risk of symptoms, strict control of portion size is recommended as well as preparation methods that remove some of the oil (e.g. grilling). Portions should be no greater than 6 ounces.

For these reasons, escolar has been banned from consumption in Japan since 1977, as the Japanese government considers it toxic. It has also been banned in Italy. In 1999, the Swedish and Danish National Food Administrations informed fish trade associations and fish importing companies about the problems escolar and related fish could cause if not prepared properly and issued recommendations. In the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, after receiving complaints about diarrhea associated with escolar consumption, issued a bulletin recommending against import of the fish in the early 1990s. However, the FDA backed away from this recommendation and withdrew the bulletin several years later after deciding the fish was nontoxic and nonlethal. In early 2007 after a public outcry and receiving consumer complaints about mislabeled fish and conducting an investigation, the Hong Kong government's Centre for Food Safety recommended that escolar not be used for catering purposes, advised clear labeling and identification of fish species before sale, purchase of fish from reliable sources, and recommended that consumers become aware of the possible health effects of consumption of escolar, oilfish, and related species. The Hong Kong government has established a working group comprised of members of the academia, trade and consumer group to prepare guidelines for assisting the trade and consumers in identifying relevant species of fish. In mid-2007, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, after investigating cases of diarrhea caused by mislabeled fish, decided not to ban escolar or oilfish but instead issued a fact sheet noting the potential adverse effects of consumption and recommending that consumers speak with their retailer, verify fish species and consume the fish in small portion size using preparation methods that reduce oil content.

Escolar is sometimes consumed raw as sushi or sashimi. It is also sold misleadingly as "white tuna", "butterfish", "oilfish" and "Hawaiian butter fish"; in Hawaii and Fiji, it is known as walu.

This is complete BS- there are several different types of Escolar, and not all are the same. Escolar is actually a family name of fish(like; shark, tuna, seabass,etc.) but there different species of Escolar all around the world. There is only one type of Escolar caught on the mainland US, and this is species that causes some people to have a negative reaction. The reason why some people have a reaction to this type of Escolar (COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS "SPINY ESCOLAR" OR OIL FISH) is because it caught in warmer water closer to the surface. The histamine levels build up in the fish, and it can cause some people to have a negative reaction to histamine levels built up in oil of the fish. This type of Escolar is easy to recognize, beacause it has bumps all over it's skin (hence the name "spiny", and the color is more of an off white or brownish-white color.DO NOT EAT THIS TYPE OF ESCOLAR! However, in many other parts of the world like Asia, Oceana, the Pacific, and Africa there better types of Escolar available. The best qualities come from the Asia and the Pacific,like Hawaii and Japan! These versions of Escolar are caught in deeper, colder water where the fish have an equal fat content to match the high oil content. So, most people never have a reaction to this type of Escolar. It is often marketed from the Hawaiian Islands as Walu ( the Polynesian name), which is a species unique only that region of the world. Walu is recognized by it's real smooth skin (similar to Ahi tuna), and clean paper white meat. In Japan this species of Escolar are often marketed as "Super White Tuna", which you will see at any high-end Japanese Restaurant or Sushi House.