It is migratory, and has been observed to dive to significant depths for food.

[2] It has a black body with a white throat and cheeks and a partially yellow bill.

It is one of the species of cormorant that has been domesticated by fishermen in a tradition known in Japan as ukai (鵜飼) (literally meaning 'raising a cormorant').

It is called umiu (ウミウ sea cormorant) in Japanese.

The Nagara River's well-known fishing masters work with this particular species to catch ayu.