The term "pelagic fish" comes from the place where they live. This zone is the area of the sea or ocean that does not border the bottom surface.
Pelageal - what is it?
From the Greek "pelagial" is interpreted as "open sea", which serves as a habitat for nekton, plankton and pleuston. Conventionally, the pelagic zone is divided into several layers:
- epipelagial - located at a depth of up to 200 meters;
- mesopelagial - at depths up to 1000 meters;
- batypelagial - up to 4000 meters;
- over 4000 meters - abysopegial.
Pelagic fish description
These are marine inhabitants, a characteristic feature of which is the habitat - the pelagic region. There are two types of pelagic fish: coastal and oceanic. The former occupy shallow waters, where sunlight seeps through, while the latter spend most of their time in deep layers, occasionally swimming into the coastal zone, mainly for spawning.
For the most part, pelagic fish have proven to be excellent swimmers. The torpedo-shaped or spindle-shaped body allows them to rapidly cut through the dense water column, while developing high speed. Pelagic sizesfish range from very small (salak, saury or herring) to giant predators: oceanic sharks and tuna. Pelagic fish very often form huge schools, sometimes reaching more than a thousand tons, but there are those who like to live alone.
Popular species
The main commercial fish catch is pelagics. It accounts for 65-75% of the total catch. Due to the large natural supply and availability, pelagic fish are the most inexpensive type of seafood. However, this does not affect the taste and usefulness. The leading position of the commercial catch is occupied by pelagic fish of the Black Sea, the North Sea, the Sea of Marmara, the B altic Sea, as well as the seas of the North Atlantic and the Pacific basin. These include smelt (capelin), anchovy, herring, herring, horse mackerel, cod (blue whiting), mackerel.
Perhaps the most common and sought-after fish is herring. It mainly lives in the pelagial of the seas of the North Atlantic, in the Barents Sea and the North Sea. There are four groups of herring: spawning, large pre-spawning, fat and small herring. The most valuable product is fatty herring. After all, it is easy to preserve and perfectly s alted.
The second most popular among consumers is mackerel. This fish belongs to the perch-like and is widely distributed in the waters of the B altic, Black and Marmara Seas. The average length of a mackerel is 30-35 centimeters. Some individual individualscapable of reaching a length of up to 60 centimeters. The color of the mackerel is gray-green with a large number of black stripes located on the back. It is ideal for making canned food, cold smoked products, as well as loose fish and salmon.
The third type of common pelagic fish, which are commercial, include capelin and herring. Capelin is a smelt, arctic fish that feeds on crustaceans and plankton. Its length rarely exceeds 20 centimeters. This is a schooling fish that lives in the upper layers almost circumpolar. It is used in the form of sprats, pickled and smoked, as well as dried and dried.
Salaka mainly inhabits the waters of the B altic Sea. Outwardly, it is very similar to the Atlantic herring, but it is smaller in size, which ranges from 20 centimeters. Salaka has an elongated body and a silvery tint. This fish is sold in frozen form, in the form of preserves and canned food, and in a chilled version.
Taste
Pelagic fish have long been famous for having a high fat content, over 20%. Certain types of herring are rich in vitamins B12, A, D, iodine and amino acids, which are part of the protein composition of herring. Scientific studies have proven that the presence of herring in the diet reduces the risk of diseases of the cardiovascular system. The fish fillet has an elastic, tender-dense texture and a very pleasant taste.
Smoked mackerel fish have a delicate, delicious taste, and friedor boiled meat is characterized by a dry texture. Mackerel contains many useful trace elements, such as: phosphorus, manganese, zinc and B vitamins.
Smelt pelagic fish are easily digestible and contain about 20% protein. They are rich in amino acids, proteins, calcium, as well as such an essential element as selenium. The meat of smelt fish is soft and tender, which gives them a special taste.
