Smelt is a fish with small, delicate scales that fall off very easily. She also has an elongated body, a mouth with an elongated jaw and many large teeth. This fish is very beautiful. The sides are silvery with a bluish tint, and the back is brownish-green and slightly translucent.
The size of this fish of the smelt family depends on its habitat. Basically, its length ranges from 16 to 20 cm, individuals with a length of 25 cm or more are much less common. There are European and Asian smelt, although their differences are so minor that they are often confused with each other. The weight of each individual can be from 20 to 350 grams - it all depends on the habitat. The largest fish are found in Siberia.
In general, smelt is a fish that has a very large range. However, it is most often found in northern waters. Sea fish of the smelt family spread in fresh cold lakes and was called smelt. Some researchers consider it a degenerate species.
Most common smeltfound in the Gulf of Finland, the Arctic Ocean, the B altic and White Seas, Ladoga, Peipsi and Onega lakes. Found only in large schools both in the sea and in fresh waters.
Smelt is a very voracious fish. And although her main food is zooplankton, she does not disdain fish, which are not much smaller than her. This fish belongs to salmon, so its marine population in the spring for spawning goes up the fresh rivers. At the same time, billions of eggs are laid, from which young growth will then develop. One individual lays up to 50,000 pieces in one spawning. Depending on the spawning place and weather conditions, fry appear in 5-10 days. Almost the entire species is very tenacious, so the catch very often reaches the consumer alive. The lifespan of a smelt varies and depends on its habitat. In central Russia, the fish lives no more than 3-4 years, but the closer to the north, the longer the period of its existence. In Siberia, the age of individuals in the population reaches 10-12 years.
Due to the rapid and numerous reproduction of offspring, smelt is a fish that is available to the general population. Its nutritional properties make it possible to prepare various culinary masterpieces from it. It can be bought live, fresh-frozen, s alted, smoked or in the form of preserves. Fish can be baked in the oven, fried over coals, in clay, or simply in a skillet. The smell of freshly caught smelt is reminiscent of the smell of cucumbers. The flesh of the fish is somewhat fatty, but it just melts in your mouth. It is better to use it with fresh vegetables orboiled or fried potatoes.
Smelt is unpretentious and very well suited for artificial cultivation on an industrial scale. Breeding such fish is generally easy. It is enough just to have a fairly deep lake or pond with cold water. It is known that in England this type of fish is bred even in key ponds, where it develops very well. The most profitable place for breeding, according to experts, is the lakes of central Russia.
