Red fish, which is conventionally called “salmon,” is considered a genuine delicacy that does not often appear on the tables of ordinary people. There are a huge number of representatives of the salmon family, many of them are distinguished by their amazing taste and beneficial health properties. Such fish include the familiar salmon, trout, sockeye salmon, as well as many others, the appearance and characteristics of which will be discussed in the article.
- Salmon
- Salmon
- Frying
General description and features
According to science, salmon are representatives of the order Salmonidae, class of ray-finned fish.
This family can be divided into three subfamilies:
- salmonids themselves (7 species);
- whitefish (3 species);
- grayling (1 species).
The first subfamily is, for the most part, predators (some representatives have a mixed diet), characterized by large or medium size, small scales and high commercial value. These are trout, chum salmon, sockeye salmon, pink salmon, and salmon.
Whitefish are smaller in size and covered with larger scales; these include whitefish, omul, Valaamka, peled, broad whitefish and some others. Finally, graylings are inhabitants of fresh water bodies; their distinctive feature is their powerful dorsal fins.
Titles and brief description
Let's take a closer look at the list of fish from the salmon family. Let's make a reservation that the fish “salmon” does not exist, this word hides the collective name of several species, therefore salmon or coho salmon are salmon.
In addition, these include two types of valuable fish:
- Pacific (these are coho salmon, chum salmon, sockeye salmon, Chinook salmon; they spawn once in a lifetime, after which the fish die);
- noble or real (these are salmon and various types of trout).
The body structure of salmon resembles herrings, which is why for a long time they were considered relatives, but as a result of detailed research they were separated into an independent family.
The distinctive features are:
- The body is elongated, laterally compressed.
- Most species have a horizontal line running along their body. There are also stains called nakrapa.
- There are two fins on the back: one with a large number of rays, the other adipose (rayless).
- Clear eyelids help protect your eyes.
- Powerful jaw with many teeth.
Each species of salmon also has its own characteristic features.
Habitat
Representatives of the salmon family are found in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, as well as in the northern seas. Thus, a rich spawning ground was discovered in Kamchatka. Most of the species (with the exception of grayling) live in the seas, but go to fresh rivers to spawn, which is why they are called freshwater (anadromous).
Large quantities are found in rivers and lakes of Siberia and the Far East and other northern latitudes:
- taimen (Baikal, Yenisei, Amur, Lena, also found in Yakutia);
- grayling (Lake Baikal, Lena, Ob, Yenisei, Amur).
Certain types of salmon (salmon, trout) are bred on special fish farms, especially in Norway.
Peculiarities
The diet of salmon fish species is varied. Most often, adult individuals feed on small fish, crustaceans, worms, mollusks, squids, and sometimes eat jellyfish. Young animals eat larvae of aquatic insects, as well as fry.
Natural enemies of young salmon are numerous:
- pike;
- burbot;
- grayling;
- brown trout;
- fish-eating birds (gulls).
Adults can also become prey to predators, such as sea hare.
The lifestyle is migratory: most of the species live in the seas, and go to fresh water bodies to spawn, most often this happens after reaching the age of 5 years. The lifespan of most members of the family is about 10 years.
Spawning
For residents of northern latitudes, breeding time comes in mid-September or October, when the water temperature is 0-8°C. And salmon from southern waters begin spawning from October to January, at a temperature of 3-10°C. Females lay eggs in previously prepared depressions in the ground; the masonry is sprinkled with a mixture of sand and pebbles.
After reproduction, fish quickly lose weight, and a very large number of them die. Survivors return to the seas, but sometimes may remain in fresh water until the weather warms. In the spring, young individuals hatch from the eggs and spend 1-5 years in the river, after which they move to rivers or lakes, where they begin to actively feed and gain weight.
Economic importance
Species of commercial importance include Far Eastern salmon, char, pink salmon, chum salmon, and salmon - their meat is tasty, nutritious and very healthy. In addition, salmon caviar is highly prized and is considered a true delicacy. Fishing plays a vital role in the economy of coastal regions.
Due to thoughtless fishing, the salmon population declined sharply in the middle of the last century. Therefore, now the issue is strictly regulated: restrictions on the catch of marine representatives have been established.
Freshwater salmon, which are objects of amateur and sport hunting, can be caught. In relation to them, the restrictions are more relaxed, so various graylings and whitefish are desirable prey in the rivers of Siberia.
Characteristics of the salmon family
The salmon family consists of individuals that have a long body covered with scales. Their head is bare and there are no mustaches. The main distinguishing feature of these fish is the presence of an adipose fin, which has no stripes. There is also a fin on the back. The eyes have light eyelids.
There are several species of salmon, but they all have one distinctive feature: they can change their appearance. It depends on the habitat and life expectancy. Male salmon fish are highly susceptible to change; they receive a certain nuptial vestment. Their color changes from gray to mottled, with areas of dark, scarlet or bright crimson. The skin becomes tougher due to the fact that scales grow into it. The jaws become crooked and teeth grow. A hump appears on the back.
List of fish and description
There are a huge number of salmon fish, they inhabit both salt and fresh water bodies. Get to know the most interesting species.
Salmon
This is a valuable fish found in the northern seas; fishermen often call it “noble salmon.” Body length can reach 1.5 meters, weight – up to 45 kg. The body is compressed, covered with small silvery scales, which are very easy to clean off during cooking.
It is born in fresh water. Then it moves to salty bodies of water. In the Russian Federation it is found in rivers and lakes of the Kola Peninsula, the White and Baltic Seas, Lake Ladoga and Onega.
Salmon uses small fish, crustaceans, and larvae as food. During the spawning period, it eats practically nothing, and characteristic bright orange or red spots appear on the body. Life expectancy is 13-15 years.
Coho salmon
This is a fairly large representative of the salmon family, reaching a length of up to a meter and a weight of up to 15 kg.
Distinctive features of the fish:
- big head;
- broad forehead;
- silvery scales, which is why coho salmon are nicknamed “silver salmon.”
Lives in the Pacific Ocean, also found off the coast of Kamchatka, in the Sea of Okhotsk, off the coast of Sakhalin and in US waters (states from Alaska to California).
It begins to spawn at the age of 3-4 years, for this it leaves lakes and seas and goes to rivers. Like other salmon, coho salmon acquire a bright red color during the breeding season, and die after spawning.
Chinook
Another representative is the Chinook salmon, which lives in the basins of the Amur and Anadyr rivers, as well as in the Pacific Ocean, on the coasts of the Kuril Islands, Kamchatka, and the Japanese Islands. The weight of the fish is from 15 kg, but sometimes it was possible to catch real giants - up to 30 kg, the body length is about a meter, although figures of just over 2 meters have been recorded.
It is born in a fresh water body, where it lives until it reaches 2 years of age, after which it goes to the sea, where it actively feeds for 5 years. Then it returns to fresh water, most often small rivers, to reproduce. It feeds on larvae, insects, small fish and crustaceans, and in the seas it often eats plankton, krill and cephalopods. It has valuable meat rich in selenium, fluorine, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and fatty acids.
Red salmon
This representative of the Pacific salmon can reach up to 80 cm in length and weigh up to 4 kg. It is found off the coast of Sakhalin, Kamchatka, Alaska, as well as in the Sea of Okhotsk. Sockeye salmon feed on calanid crustaceans, and due to the pigment they contain, the fish meat is colored in a rich red hue. It begins to reproduce in the places where the fish itself was born. After spawning it dies.
Sockeye salmon meat is considered a dietary product; it can be salted, smoked, and baked. Balyk is especially loved by gourmets.
Trout
It has rich red meat and is valued for its low calorie content. It can live in both fresh and salt water, depending on the species.
The color of trout directly depends on the environmental conditions in which it is located:
- if the reservoir is calcareous, then the fish is light, almost white, with a copper sheen;
- in peat lakes the color is darker.
Trout that feeds well is almost monochromatic, but if the diet is poor, then its body is covered with spots.
It is customary to distinguish three types of trout:
- rainbow;
- lake;
- brook
It uses plankton, insects and their larvae, and small fish as food. Lives in small flocks and is known for its caution.
Pink salmon
It is not distinguished by its impressive dimensions, the maximum can be 70 cm, the average weight is about 2 kg. Most often, pink salmon are found in the waters of the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic, but for breeding they enter Siberian rivers. Another name for the fish is pink salmon; it has stuck because of the specific color of the tender and tasty meat.
Pink salmon looks very beautiful:
- blue-green or bluish back;
- silver sides;
- white belly.
During the spawning period, the color of pink salmon scales changes to pale gray. Life expectancy is up to 3 years, after reproduction it dies.
Chum salmon
This is an anadromous fish caught on an industrial scale in the Far East. It is distinguished by a conical head with small eyes and a compressed elongated body. Very similar to pink salmon, but has larger scales. Approaching spawning, chum salmon acquires a black color. In this form it is called catfish; it is not suitable for human food, but can be used to feed dogs.
It is customary to distinguish two types of chum salmon:
- summer, the average length of which is no more than 80 cm;
- autumn, it can be up to a meter in length.
It fattens in the seas for up to 2-3 years, after which it gathers in large schools and moves to rivers for spawning.
Whitefish
Found in clean, oxygen-saturated waters, it rarely sinks to the bottom or rises to the surface, preferring to stay in the water column. Weight up to 6 kg, average body length – 60-80 cm.
The color of the whitefish is silver, the fins are dark. It belongs to schooling fish; it begins to spawn in November, for this it moves to shallows overgrown with coastal plants. A distinctive feature of whitefish is its white meat.
Other types
There are a lot of salmon fish. These include the following:
- Brown trout . This is an anadromous fish that is found in the Baltic, Black, and White Seas. Body length is up to 45 cm, weight is about 3.5 kg, but there are also more impressive individuals - 6-7 kg.
- Neima . A representative of the whitefish subfamily, preferring cold fresh water bodies. Length about 1.2 meters, weight – 30 kg. Prized for its delicious dietary meat.
- Lenok . It is similar in appearance to whitefish, but has a darker color. It is mined on an industrial scale in the Far East.
- Grayling . In its appearance, this inhabitant of the seas is not at all similar to other salmon; it has a large dorsal fin, decorated with spots, large scales, and thanks to its various shades it looks very beautiful and elegant. The pectoral and pelvic fins of grayling are yellow, the tail is crimson.
These are the main representatives of fish of the salmon family.
Representatives of the Salmon
Representatives have a body that is somewhat laterally compressed and elongated. Most often, representatives of the aquatic world have a gray-blue color on the back and sides with dark spots and a silver belly. It is noteworthy that the color can vary depending on the place where it lives, as well as on age.
Before spawning, salmon becomes darker in color, and the males of this fish species have red spots on their backs.
Properties of these fish
Spawning often takes place from late summer to the first cold snap in autumn. To lay eggs, individuals move to rivers. They always choose the same places for spawning. The suitable age for reproduction is 2-3 years. It is noteworthy that with age, representatives of the salmon family go further into rivers to spawn.
Only in late autumn do individuals return to their usual place of life (usually salt water). But occasionally, individual individuals can remain in fresh water bodies until the beginning of spring.
With age, salmon representatives grow in size. Due to the size of salmon caviar, its quantity increases depending on the age of the fish. The fry return to the seas 1-3 years after spawning, that is, having reached adulthood.
Names of species of red fish from the Salmon family:
- Trout. People call it “variegated” for its variegated color and rounded scales. The fish is most often found in western waters of Europe and southern Russia. Its preferred habitat is clean and cool water, which does not freeze in winter. The greatest activity of trout occurs in autumn and winter. These fish are predators that feed on eggs, small fish and insects.
- Salmon. It is considered one of the most valuable. It can grow up to one and a half meters in length and reach 40 kilograms in weight. Salmon lives in the northern waters of the Atlantic, in the lakes of Russia. The main prey of salmon are herring, sand lance and other small fish.
- Pink salmon. This is a common species of salmon, which is distinguished by its small size compared to other representatives of salmon - it grows up to 3 kilograms. The fish lives in the Pacific Ocean. It is noteworthy that from all the eggs female fish appear, and later the fry change sex.
- Chum salmon. She lives in the Pacific Ocean. Interestingly, during spawning it changes its color - its sides become bright crimson. Chum salmon is divided into summer and autumn. These species are very different from each other in behavior and color.
- Omul. The commercial fish is found in the Arctic Ocean. It feeds on small fish and plankton. The omul grows to small sizes - up to three kilograms.
- Far Eastern salmon, often called Pacific salmon. The most prominent representatives include chinook salmon and coho salmon. These fish are considered migratory, as they constantly emigrate from the sea to rivers.
By the word “red” our ancestors meant everything that was most priceless and rare. This tradition has not been forgotten even today. As before, well-cooked fish is the decoration of every holiday.
Red fish meat is considered one of the healthiest. This is explained by its saturation with vitamins and microelements. This product is actively used in cooking, allowing you to rejuvenate the body, strengthen hair and nails, and have a beneficial effect on the skin.
Beneficial features
The commercial importance of salmon is primarily due to the high nutritional value of these fish, the meat of which is rich in vitamins and macro- and microelements (phosphorus, potassium, calcium, iron), as well as fatty acids necessary for humans. At the same time, it is non-caloric, so it can be included in the dietary nutrition system, helps strengthen the immune system, increases brain performance, and is a powerful preventive measure for cardiovascular diseases.
Salmon
This fish should definitely be included in the diet of everyone who cares about their health.
It is very useful:
- Due to the melatonin included in the composition, it helps to naturally rejuvenate the body.
- Stimulates the functioning of the central nervous system.
- Reduces the content of bad cholesterol.
- Has a beneficial effect on brain productivity.
It is important to remember that the most valuable fish is the one caught in natural conditions, and not the one grown artificially.
Pink salmon
In addition to the above beneficial properties inherent to salmon in general, pink salmon helps cleanse the body of waste and toxins, fights bone diseases and is considered a means of preventing osteoporosis. It is rich in amino acids, so after a meal you can forget about the feeling of hunger for a long time.
Contraindications
Despite the usefulness of salmon, there are certain categories of people for whom eating fish is contraindicated:
- those suffering from an allergic reaction to fish products;
- for gastrointestinal problems (especially stomach ulcers, pancreatitis);
- for pathologies of the kidneys, liver, and urinary system;
- with individual intolerance to phosphorus and iodine.
We also note that fish should not be overused; it will only bring benefits to the body in moderation.
Nursing mothers are advised to avoid red fish until the baby is six months old, as the product can cause a severe allergic reaction in the baby. Before introducing salmon into complementary foods, you must obtain the approval of a medical professional.
Use in cooking
Salmon meat is considered a valuable and tasty product; it is most often eaten after heat treatment, but certain fish species can also be salted and dried. The meat has a beautiful red-pink hue, and the presence of beneficial fatty acids is greater in those species that lived in cold waters.
The best side dishes are potatoes, boiled rice, and vegetables. Sweet and sour sauces perfectly highlight the taste.
Fresh fish should be scaled, gutted, washed, and then dried with a towel. Frozen food should be left in cold salted water to defrost.
Suitable seasonings for salmon are:
- dill (fresh, frozen);
- thyme;
- basil;
- pink pepper
Before cooking the fillets, it is recommended to sprinkle with lemon juice, but it is important not to overdo it, otherwise the taste will be reduced.
Frying
A simple but very tasty recipe for cooking red fish in a frying pan.
Procedure:
- Cut the carcass into pieces, salt and season. You can roll it in flour.
- Fry in a preheated frying pan for 5 minutes on each side.
Serve with potatoes and vegetables.
Baking in foil
This method of preparation allows you to preserve maximum beneficial properties.
Procedure:
- Prepare the carcass (clean, rinse, salt, season).
- Place foil on a baking sheet.
- Place a layer of onion sliced into rings.
- Place the fish.
- Cover with foil.
- Place in the oven. Temperature 210°, cooking time - 20 minutes.
- Open the foil, this will help get a crispy crust, then bake for another 5 minutes.
A tasty and healthy dish is ready.
Pickling
Both fresh and frozen fish are suitable for this option.
Procedure:
- Prepare the carcass, cut it into pieces of the required size.
- Rub the fish with a mixture of salt and sugar.
- Place the fillet in a glass container under pressure.
- Place in the refrigerator, in the freshness zone, for a day. After this, the product is ready for use.
For 1 kg of fish you will need 3 tbsp. salt and 2 tbsp. Sahara.
