Currently, the ichthyofauna of the Far East occupies a leading position in the fishing industry in Russia. This region accounts for more than 60% of the state industrial catch. The fish of the Far East has a huge number of species, among which several dozen are of great commercial importance. A special role is played by the extraction of representatives of the salmon family, famous for the excellent quality of meat. In the common people, this large delicacy "herring" is conventionally called red.
Fish of the Far East: which families are of commercial importance
This is a region washed by the waters of the Pacific Basin. Here are concentrated the world's largest stocks of commercial representatives of salmon and cod fish. The economic catch zone covers the adjacent Pacific seas (Bering, Japan and Okhotsk).
Many salmon species of fish of the Far East are anadromous,periodically migrating to rivers and lakes, where they can also be caught.
The names of the fish of the Far East are primarily associated with salmon, such as chum salmon, trout, salmon and others. And no wonder, since these species are classified as the elite of the fishing industry.
Below will be descriptions and photos of fish of the Far East, which are of great commercial importance. The complete list of hydrobionts in this region is too huge and includes more than 2,000 thousand species. In addition to representatives of the ichthyofauna, this includes invertebrates and mammals (seals, fur seals, and others).
Red fish of the Far East
This term is usually used to refer to delicacy representatives of the sturgeon family. However, in the common people it is also applied to some species of salmon living in the Far East. The fish of this group are distinguished by the characteristic color of the meat, which can be pink or reddish-pink. However, not all the inhabitants of the depths have this feature.
Among the fish of the Far East, the name "red" is used in relation to the following species:
- pink salmon;
- keta;
- trout;
- sim;
- sock salmon;
- chinook salmon;
- Atlantic salmon (salmon);
- kichuzh;
- charr.
Initially, it was used in the sense of the quality of meat, not its color, and was applied only to sturgeons. However, later the name was assigned to salmon. In the Far East, fish belonging to this family is a key target for fishing.
Pink salmon
Pink salmon (lat. Oncorhynchusgorbuscha) is the most common species of Pacific salmon, classified as an important commercial fish. Among the representatives of its kind, this fish has the smallest size (on average 44-49 cm). Some individuals grow up to 68 cm.
Characteristic features of pink salmon are:
- small scales;
- the presence of an adipose fin;
- short dorsal fin (less than 17 rays);
- changing color (at sea - silvery, during spawning - brownish with black head and white belly).
Pink salmon is a migratory species and migrates to rivers during the breeding season. Before the first spawning, the body of this fish undergoes significant changes, especially pronounced in males. Pink salmon juveniles look the same and have a low silver body with a long mouth containing small teeth. In the river, the body is flattened from the sides, and the jaws are significantly lengthened. In males, a hump forms on the back, which served as the reason for the name of the species, and the mouth becomes like a bird's beak.
Keta
Chum salmon (lat. Oncorhynchus keta) - a large fish with a large conical head and an elongated body, flattened from the sides. This species is characterized by 2 morphological forms:
- summer (has a length of 58 to 80 cm);
- autumn (sizes reach 72-100 cm).
The body of the chum salmon is covered with large scales, the color of which varies depending on the location. In the sea, the back and fins of the fish are dark blue, and the belly and sides are white with silver.low tide. During spawning, the entire upper side of the chum salmon turns black, and dark crimson stripes appear on some parts of the integument. Throughout the life cycle, there is practically no change in the shape of the body in females. Males, during the spawning period, undergo a rearrangement similar to that of pink salmon, but less pronounced.
Sockeye salmon
Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) is known for its excellent tasting meat. However, in the Russian Far East, this species is much less common than chum salmon and coho salmon.
In the people, sockeye salmon is otherwise called red fish for the corresponding color of its body. However, Oncorhynchus nerka acquires a similar appearance only during the spawning period, when it migrates to the rivers. This time is accompanied by the following morphological changes:
- roughening of the skin, as a result of which individual scales become indistinguishable, and the surface appears smooth;
- color change (head becomes olive green and body bright red);
- appearance of large teeth;
- changing the shape of the jaws in males (elongation and the formation of a bend in the shape of a beak).
Ocean sockeye salmon has an elongated body, having a cylindrical shape in diameter. The dorsal side of these fish is dark gray, and the rest of the integument is colored silvery white. The scales are small but clearly visible.
The distinguishing feature of sockeye salmon from other representatives of the genus Oncorhynchus is the special color of the meat (bright red, not pink).
Chinook
Among the salmon fish of the Far East, the chinook salmon(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) - the fattest (up to 13.5%). Individuals of this species are quite large (average length - 90 cm, and weight - up to 25 kg). The body of the chinook salmon is very massive, shaped like a torpedo.
The color of an adult fish before spawning is silvery with a dark back covered with transverse stripes. Before breeding, sockeye salmon acquires a marriage outfit. At the same time, the scales on the back become almost black, and on the sides and belly it acquires a reddish-brown hue. Unlike sockeye salmon, pink salmon and chum salmon, chinook salmon practically does not undergo changes in body proportions associated with the onset of spawning. Some individuals may develop teeth, and males may have a curvature of the jaws.
Salmon
Atlantic salmon, otherwise called salmon (lat. Salmo salar) is a very valuable commercial fish, the meat of which has high palatability and is considered a delicacy. These are quite large animals with a length of up to 150 cm and a weight of up to 43 kg. Salmon are anadromous species and can form freshwater forms, settling in lakes.
The body of this fish is covered with bright silver scales, which acquire a bluish tint on the dorsal side. Above the lateral line, the color is complemented by several dark spots. The belly is light.
Changes before spawning are expressed in the darkening of the scales and the appearance of red and orange marks on the head and sides. In males, the courtship attire is much more pronounced. In addition to changing color, they have a characteristic morphological restructuring of the jaws (elongation and hook-shapedcurvature).
Coho salmon
Kizhuch (Oncorhynchus kisutch) is a very valuable commercial fish of the Far East, however, its population is very small. Since this species is demersal, the catch is carried out with the help of trawls and fixed nets. The distribution area of coho salmon includes the territories of the Bering, Japan and Okhotsk seas. A small number of coho lives in the region of eastern Sakhalin and Hokkaido.
Theragra chalcogramma is a very large fish. Some individuals grow up to 108 cm and gain a mass of about 14 kg. However, the average size for this species is much more modest (length 60-80 cm, weight - 3-3.5 kg).
Coho salmon has a silvery body, with a dark back, covered with dark spots, extending also to the caudal fin. During the spawning season, the color changes to dark crimson.
Sima
Sima (Oncorhynchus masou) is the oldest representative of the Pacific salmon. This large fish can reach a length of 63 cm and weigh about 6 kg. Outwardly, it resembles kitchu or chinook salmon, but has larger dark spots on the body.
When a Sim spawns, the coloration becomes very bright: the scales turn olive and are covered with transverse crimson and red stripes.
charr
Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) belongs to the salmon family. This fish has many anadromous forms and is caught in the Far East in the area of Magadan and Kamchatka.
The char has an elongated cylindrical body with a slight elevation in the middle. The head is slightly flattened above and below. A characteristic feature of this fish is the absence of scales. The skin is colored dark gray-brown with amorphous spots. The loaches are quite large in size (up to 88 cm in length and up to 16 kg in weight).
Codfish
Among the species of fish of the cod family living in the Far East, the following are of the greatest commercial importance:
- pollock (Theragra chalcogramma);
- Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus);
- Far Eastern saffron cod (Eleginus gracilis).
Pollock is a large fish with an elongated body, the maximum length of which is 91 cm and a weight of 5 kg. This species prefers the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean, living at a depth of 200-300 meters, but in some cases dropping to 700 and below.
Pollack color is spotted, except for the belly, which is a solid olive green color. The scales darken towards the upper side of the body. Characteristic features of Theragra chalcogramma are the presence of three dorsal fins and a mustache on the chin.
Pacific cod is large (length up to 115 cm, weight up to 18 kg). However, smaller individuals (50-80 cm) predominate in the fishing grounds. The cod has a long body, tapering towards the tail and covered with small brown scales. Above the lateral line, the color is complemented by a large number of small dark spots.
Navaga is a fairly popular sea fish of the FarEast, also known under the local name vahnya. This type of cod has a relatively small size (maximum length - 55 cm, average - 30-35). Far Eastern saffron cod is valued for the high gastronomic qualities of meat and its nutritional value. However, its production is very difficult.
Flounders
Representatives of this family in the Far East produce:
- 3 types of flounder (white-bellied, yellow-bellied and yellowfin);
- Pacific halibut;
- black halibut.
White-bellied flounder (Lepidopsetta bilineata) - bottom marine fish with a fleshy body 27-43 cm long. The name of the species corresponds to the color of the lower part of the fish. The upper side of the body is brown or sandy in color. A characteristic feature of the white-bellied flounder is the special structure of the lateral line, which has an arcuate bend and a branch directed to the back.
Yellow-bellied flounder (Pleuronectes quadrituberculatus) is a fairly large species, growing up to 60 cm in length. This fish has a wide body covered with smooth scales. The underside of the flounder is lemon yellow, which is the reason for the name, and the upper (otherwise left) part of the body is brownish brown.
Yellowfin flounder (Limanda aspera) is the most common representative of its kind. It is this species that is the basis of large concentrations of flounder fish in the Far East. Limanda aspera has a wide body up to 47 cm long.the upper side of the fish adjusts to the color scheme of the bottom, and the belly is light. The name of the species is due to the corresponding (yellow) color of the fins.
Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) is one of the largest representatives of the flounder. The record length of an individual of this species was 470 cm. The fish has an elongated flat body, the eyes are on the right side. Body color solid gray or dark brown.
Black halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) - much smaller than white relative (length 120 cm, weight - 15 kg). His body has a solid color, corresponding to the name. The eyes of this fish are located on the right side. A characteristic feature of the black halibut is the high fat content of meat (about 10%), which is important in cooking.
Herring
Pacific herring (Clupea palasi) occupies a special place in the fishing industry of the Far East. Populations of this fish live in the coastal zone of Sakhalin Island. The catch is carried out twice a year:
- in autumn (spawning form);
- late autumn and winter (fatty herring).
Clupea palasi is a medium-sized fish that grows up to 30-40 cm. However, some anadromous individuals can reach a length of up to 75 cm. The body of the herring is flattened laterally and covered with silvery scales of medium or large size. The back of the fish is dark and has a bluish tint. It has only one fin.
Shrimp
The main Far Eastern representative of this family is the southern greenling (Pleurogrammus azonus). This fish lives near Sakhalin Island and is a very valuable fish.
Pleurogrammus azonus has an elongated body, slightly flattened laterally. Its average size is 22-35 cm, and the maximum is 65 cm. Small scales cover the entire body of the fish, except for the snout. A characteristic feature of this species is the presence of 5 lateral lines on each side.
The color of the southern single-finned greenling depends on age. In juveniles it is greenish-blue, while in immature fish it is gray. Fully formed, ready-to-breed individuals are dark brown in color with a white belly and a brown pattern on the upper side.
