What does Arctic omul fish look like and where is it found?

general information

Omul
The Baikal omul was traditionally considered a subspecies of the Arctic omul (coregonus autumnalis) and had the Latin name Coregonus autumnalis migratorius. When studying the origin of the Baikal omul, there were two main hypotheses:

• origin from the Arctic omul and penetration into Baikal from the Arctic Ocean along rivers during the interglacial period,
• origin from an ancestral form that lived in warm-water reservoirs of the Oligocene and Miocene.

Genetic studies have shown that the Baikal omul is close to the common and herring whitefish and is now recognized as an independent species, Coregonus migratorius.

Currently, there are three groups of omuls in Baikal, which have ecological and morphological differences:

• pelagic (Selenga)
• coastal (North Baikal and Barguzin)
• bottom-deep-water (Posolskaya, Chivyrkuiskaya and other populations breeding in small rivers).

The basis of each is made up of populations spawning in tributaries of Baikal of different lengths.

White fish from the salmon family

Baikal omul (Coregonus migratorius) and Arctic omul (Coregonus autumnalis) are two species of the same genus of bony fish that belong to the salmon family (Salmonidae). These fish differ significantly from other representatives of this family.

When describing the Baikal omul its appearance, the following features are highlighted:

• The axis of the body passes through the pupil of the eye. The body is proportionally symmetrical.
• The head is medium-sized and the body is spindle-shaped and regular in shape. The sides are compressed, the abdomen is thickened. There is an adipose fin on the tail.
• Medium-sized scales of silvery color without pronounced spots. The back is brown, brownish or greenish, and the belly is light.

Omuli are dioecious fish, without pronounced sexual dimorphism. Fish become sexually mature when they reach 5 years of age, their size reaches 27-28 centimeters.

According to evidence, at the end of the last century in Baikal there were omuls up to 60 centimeters long, and most of the individuals in the nets were from 35 to 40 centimeters. In the modern catch, most individuals range in size from 11 to 28 centimeters. “Golomyanny” omuls, that is, large ones, are extremely rare today. And yet they rarely measure more than 40 centimeters.

Appearance

In appearance it resembles a grayling - it has a long body, slightly flattened on the sides. Omul and grayling have one more common feature - a small mouth, the jaws of which are equal in length.

Like the grayling, the scales of the Baikal beauty resemble chain mail; they can only be removed with some effort. The king fish differs from the grayling in color - greenish, with a beautiful silvery tint. The belly is white, but the back is dark, with a brown tint. Another difference from grayling is a dark stripe along the entire body. The fins are light in color; near the tail itself there is a distinctive feature of the entire salmon family - the adipose fin.

If the life span of grayling is no more than 15 years, then omuls are long-lived - some individuals live up to two decades. Despite their life expectancy, it is impossible to meet very large representatives of the family - the average body weight is only 700-800 grams with a length of half a meter. Rarely, there are trophy specimens up to one and a half kilograms, they are found at great depths (about 250 m).

Number of omul caught in Baikal

For 50 years (until the end of the 60s), the average annual catch averaged 39 thousand cwt. From 1969 to 1975, a ban was introduced on commercial fishing for omul to restore the reproduction of populations. But it was not implemented in full: the fishing collective farm was allowed to fish, and poaching did not stop during the entire period of the ban. In the period from 1978 to 1982, catching was carried out to determine the number of omul and to develop methods for rational management of fisheries. Official catches amounted to 10 - 12 thousand c. Since the total biomass of omul during the years of the ban did not reach the long-term average values, commercial catch in the coming years should not exceed 12 - 15 thousand cwt.

Habitats

The issues of omul habitat are still being studied by scientists. The thing is that Lake Baikal itself is far from small, and, of course, the fish are distributed unevenly across it. Scientists who studied the habitat of omul determined that this fish can be abundant in some parts of the lake and completely absent in others. Apparently, this is due to the fact that different rivers flow into Baikal, carrying with them different silt. Some types of silt attract small crustaceans - a favorite delicacy of omul, but others do not. It is quite logical to assume that the habitat of omul directly depends on the location of schools of crustaceans. However, this theory has not yet been proven one hundred percent, although it explains the uneven distribution of omul throughout Lake Baikal.

Be that as it may, the Baikal omul is found in abundance near the southeastern coast of Lake Baikal, but even there the habitats of the omul are unevenly distributed.
In those places where fairly large rivers flow into the lake: Barguzin, Upper Angara, Chivyrkui and Selenga, this fish is found in abundance. It is also present in other areas of the southeastern coast of Lake Baikal, but in much smaller quantities. By the way, it may well be that these features of the omul’s habitat are associated not only with crustaceans feeding on plankton, which, in turn, is carried with river water, but also with the spawning characteristics of this fish. As we have already said, during spawning the fish rises upstream in rivers (in particular, those mentioned earlier), and after the eggs are swept away, they roll back into the lake. It is quite possible that they simply do not go far from this place, fortunately there is quite enough food there. Omul fish
If the south-eastern coast of Lake Baikal abounds in omul, then on the opposite, north-western coast there is no such fish at all. What this is connected with cannot yet be explained. Perhaps it’s just the crustaceans, which for some reason are absent in that area. In addition, it may be not only the crustaceans themselves, but also the depth at which they are located. Scientists who studied the habitat of omul found that this fish prefers to stay at relatively shallow depths. But near the northwestern coast of Lake Baikal, the bottom drops sharply down several tens of meters. Accordingly, if there are crustaceans there that are loved by omul, then they are located quite deep, near the bottom. Apparently, the omul simply cannot get there, and therefore prefers to stick to places where it is easier to get food.

But in the part of Baikal called the Small Sea, there is plenty of omul. Some scientists even distinguish it into a separate population called Malomorskaya - Malomorskaya omul, and Siberians believe that it is the omuls caught in the Malaya Sea that are the most delicious and fatty. Meanwhile, not only Baikal and the rivers flowing into it are the main habitats of omul. This fish can be found not only in Baikal, but also in a number of smaller lakes, mainly those located in the Penzhina River basin. By the way, the omuls there taste significantly different from those from Baikal. For better or worse, let everyone decide for themselves. By the way, these fish are even classified as a separate population - the Penzhinsky omul. However, it can also be classified as the Baikal omul, since the lakes in which it is found are connected to Baikal by a system of rivers and their tributaries.

However, the habitats of omul are not limited to those listed above. There is another subspecies - Arctic omul. It is not found in Baikal and the lakes associated with it, but in the Arctic Ocean basin. Low water temperatures do not frighten this fish at all. It feeds in the coastal waters of the Arctic Ocean, in those places where large Siberian rivers flow into it. Perhaps this habitat of omul is due to the fact that in these areas the water is less salty, because it is, after all, a freshwater fish. Or maybe the same crustaceans are to blame for everything. It is possible that both factors affect the fish, or perhaps the final cause is unknown to us. Interestingly, the omul living in the Arctic Ocean can be found only in one part of it, namely, in the coastal zone belonging to Siberia. It is completely incomprehensible why this fish did not migrate to other areas of the Arctic Ocean, because the climate there, if different, is insignificant, and there are confluences of large rivers in other regions. And yet, the Siberian fish, which has become so famous recently, prefers to stay at the mouths of the Mezen, Pechora, Yenisei, Kolyma, Lena and some others rivers. As with the Baikal omul, its Arctic counterpart spends most of its time in relatively calm water, hunting for crustaceans and gaining weight. And to spawn, it also goes to large rivers, near the mouths of which it tries to stay. Previously, active fishing for this fish was carried out in these rivers, and only when the population began to be seriously threatened, fishing during spawning was strictly prohibited.

Is it possible to revive the former glory of the Baikal omul?

It is possible if you implement all the proposals made by scientists, in particular: stop polluting spawning rivers and lakes; clear and prevent contamination of spawning grounds; stop the formation of rafts of wood in rivers and their rafting along Lake Baikal, replacing them with dry cargo (in barges or timber carriers) transportation; build new fish hatcheries on spawning rivers, expand and modernize existing ones (Bolsherechensky, Chivyrkuisky, Barguzinsky and Selenginsky); organize the rearing of omul fry to viable stages; maintain an optimal hydrological regime in the lake and its tributaries by stopping excessive cutting of forests in the drainage basin; keep the water level in the lake at an optimal level, not allowing it to exceed the limits of natural average long-term fluctuations; strictly observe fishing rules; conduct rational use of agricultural land, preventing soil erosion, etc.

Nutrition

Favorite food for omul are amphipods, juvenile gobies, whitefish fry, smelt, and polar cod. Sometimes omul prefers to feed on planktonic crustaceans. In the waters of Lake Baikal, fish do not mind eating small crustaceans. Omuls feed on pelagic amphipods and juvenile Baikal fish (golomyanok) when the main food is insufficient. The diet of the adult generation and fry is somewhat different. It is also known that in winter the omul adheres to a diet, consuming fewer organisms than in other seasons.

Factors influencing the choice of fish parking location

The main factor that influences the choice of omul site is food. The fish lives in places where there is a lot of silt containing insect larvae and small crustaceans - the animal’s favorite delicacies. The omul also prefers to be in a reservoir with a flat bottom at a shallow depth. The top layer of water heats up in the sun, and small living creatures appear there, which the fish also feed on.

Feed base

The reason for the uneven distribution of omul in Baikal is the food supply consisting of zooplankton. In river deltas, where large amounts of phytoplankton accumulate, an increased concentration of these fish is observed. The main diet of omul is gobies, perciformes, amphipods, and copepods. The fish stops eating during the breeding season, after which it returns to places rich in plankton.

Spawning

The fish reproduces annually as soon as it reaches sexual maturity. At this time, the length of individuals is often more than 30 centimeters. Moreover, males often mature one year earlier than females. Puberty of the omul can take from 2 to 3 years.

This fish travels far to spawn, more than 1000 km. At the same time, it does not approach the banks and avoids shallow water, staying in the middle of the riverbed. The omul goes to spawn in early to mid-August. When approaching the spawning grounds, a large school of fish breaks up into small schools.

The omul fish begins to spawn in late September - early October. The water temperature at this time is no more than 4 degrees. For spawning, the omul chooses a sandy and pebble bottom, at least two meters deep.

The diameter of the eggs is from 1.6 to 2.4 mm. They are not sticky, bottom-based. Having spawned, the omul goes to feeding areas. Omul can lay up to 67,000 eggs, which roll down to the lower reaches of the river without stopping at the spawning grounds.

What are the benefits of omul fish?

Arctic or Baikal omul has a very beneficial effect on the body:

• maintains visual acuity and prevents the development of cataracts;
• strengthens bones, joints and teeth;
• slows down the aging process and helps maintain youth longer;
• promotes the resorption of blood clots and strengthens the walls of blood vessels;
• protects against the development of heart diseases;
• has a beneficial effect on the state of the nervous system;
• improves reproductive functions in men and women;
• strengthens the immune system and reduces the incidence of flu and colds;
• helps relieve inflammatory processes in the body.

Fish fillet does not contain cholesterol, so even frequent consumption does not increase the risk of developing atherosclerosis. The product has an average calorie content and is well suited for a diet, especially since it contains very few bones.

We recommend reading: Useful properties of flounder

The benefits of cold smoked omul

Not only fresh and frozen fish, but also smoked fish are popular. It has increased nutritional value - about 190 calories per 100 g of product. The volumes of proteins and fats are distributed approximately evenly over 17 g.

You can eat smoked fish for safe weight loss if you stick to small dosages. Since omul is not subjected to intensive heat treatment during the cooking process, all valuable substances are retained in its composition. Including fish in your diet helps avoid the development of vitamin deficiency due to dietary restrictions.

What are the benefits of omul caviar?

Reddish omul caviar is valued for its high fat and protein content. The product contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals, unsaturated acids.

Eating caviar is especially useful for chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system - it improves blood quality, prevents its thickening and the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. With regular use, the product reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Omul caviar can be eaten with pancakes or sandwiches

Fishing for omul

Fishing for omul
Most often, omul is caught with a fishing rod - this method is good both in summer and winter. Of particular interest is winter fishing. The basic requirements are clean, transparent ice and equally clear water. The fish is particularly capricious, so it is quite difficult to please it - sometimes you have to try dozens of baits. The most commonly used are artificial flies of different sizes. It is recommended to attach several baits to one fishing rod - this gives a greater chance of the desired catch.

In summer, catching omul is even more difficult than in winter. Experienced fishermen prefer to use spinning rods, because capricious fish are more attracted to moving treats. Crustaceans are used as bait - a favorite delicacy that the handsome fish pecks at with pleasure.

Night fishing for omul is an exciting and exciting activity. This is only possible from a floating craft equipped with a powerful headlight. Light attracts small inhabitants of the reservoir - crustaceans, small fish, insects. The omul will certainly be attracted here by a large amount of food.

Distribution and diet

In Russia, the fish is found in all northern reservoirs, except for the Ob River. Numerous schools are found in Pechora, Yenisei and Lena. In America, the population is found both at Cape Barrow and in Cornation Bay.

Baikal migrants feel great in the Amur reservoirs. The length of the basins and the diversity of the topography led to minor physiological changes. Representatives are found in the coastal zone and in deep water (up to 350 m).

If you know where omul lives and where this fish is found, you can determine your gastronomic preferences. With the onset of the mating season, all individuals stop eating. At the end of the grueling procedure, the surviving specimens quickly restore their wasted energy.

Favorite dishes include:

• plankton;
• larvae;
• fry;
• mysid;
• crustaceans.

Recreational fishing is allowed all year round, except when fish spawn. In the summer they fish with spinning rods and fishing rods, and in cold weather they switch to the ice fishing method. The individuals are very cunning, so they will not take every bait. It is better to use small crustaceans and the meat of tiny live bait.

At night they attract attention with the help of a powerful flashlight. The fish sees the bait and approaches the boat. For bottom activities, gear with weights and habits with a nozzle is used. In cold weather, live bait is replaced with red flies.

Useful properties and nutritional value

It's a very tasty fish. Almost 20% consists of fat, especially marine subspecies. Omul meat is quickly digested (in 1-1.5 hours) and has great nutritional value. The fat in fish is located in the abdominal cavity, liver and subcutaneous layer. Evenly distributed throughout the fins and muscles.

Omul is rich in fatty acids, which reduce blood viscosity and improve the functioning of the heart and nervous system. Omul meat contains a lot of vitamin B. Much more than other fish. These vitamins are essential for the human nervous and reproductive system.

The mass fraction of omul bones is no more than 7%. Thanks to this, high-quality canned food is prepared from this fish. It is also used for dietary nutrition.

Processing omul on Baikal

Heat treatment on paddles, baking in hot ash (in foil, coated with clay or wrapped in damp paper). In addition, omul is dried, salted in different ways (whipped, cultured and amateur salting), smoked (hot and cold smoking), etc. In addition to salted, smoked, fried, baked and boiled omul, as well as canned, many local residents love to eat from fresh frozen omul - splitting, planing. Although these methods are widespread, medicine does not recommend using them, since there is a danger of infection with intestinal parasites. By the way, not only frozen fish is used to prepare stroganina, but also the meat of deer, elk, seals, and especially the liver of these animals.

Fisheries and consumption

Omul is one of the main food resources for those living in the Baikal region. Throughout Russia, this fish is considered a delicacy; its export to the West is of great economic importance for the country. Around the lake you can buy smoked omul, which everyone traveling along the Trans-Siberian Railway strives to taste, while local residents prefer to salt this fish. A popular salad in Siberia called stroganina is made from raw frozen omul, finely chopped and served with salt, pepper and onion rings.

Due to the high demand for omul, this type of fish has become the object of one of the most important fisheries in Lake Baikal. The highest annual catch rates were recorded in the 1940s and amounted to 60-80 thousand tons. A sharp decline in the number of fish led to the closure of the fishery in 1969, which reopened (with strict restrictions) only in 1974 after a partial recovery of the population. Currently, omul production accounts for approximately two-thirds of the total fishing volume on Lake Baikal. Fluctuations in population numbers and intensive fishing make fishing a high priority for local fishery managers. —— www.revolvy.com