Try the taste of Arctic omul dishes offered by many cuisines of the world. This is a real delicacy with unique taste characteristics. But to see firsthand what the Arctic omul is, so to speak, in its natural environment, few were lucky.
Scientific approach: species classification
First of all, let's give a scientific classification. Omul is an anadromous fish that belongs to the class of ray-finned fish and is included in the Salmon order. The family in which the omul consists is called Salmon, and the genus is Sigi.
The fish prefers a benthic way of life, is an omnivore. Its habitat covers the Arctic Ocean basin and Siberian rivers.
What does "migratory fish" mean?
The term "migratory fish" is applied to those species whose life cycle takes place partly in the sea, and sometimes in the rivers that flow into this sea. As for the species under consideration, spawning of omul is like in rivers, and feeding in the coastal zone of the Arctic Ocean. This type of migratory fish is called anadromous. If a fish goes to the sea to spawn from a river, then it is called catadromous.
Appearance
Omul fish (photo posted inarticle) has an almost regular, elongated body shape. This means that the middle axis passes through the trunk and the middle of the head. The mouth of the fish is terminal, small in size. The upper and lower jaws are of equal length. Medium sized eyes.
The sides are a beautiful silvery color, and the back has a brownish-green tint. Sometimes a thin black stripe is visible on the sides. On the belly, the color is much lighter. Arctic omul is covered with small dense scales. The fins and tail, as well as the sides, are silvery in color. On the back, a fatty leathery unpaired fin is visible, located behind the dorsal. It consists of adipose tissue without fin rays. During the spawning period, epithelial growths appear in males, which makes it possible to visually distinguish between males and females.
Sizes
Omul, whose photo allows you to determine the size of an individual, a fish that can hardly be called large. The average representative has a weight of about 800 g. Occasionally, fishermen come across larger individuals, whose weight can reach 2 kg. The body length of large specimens of the Arctic omul is approximately 50-60 cm. The life span of this species is from 10 to 18 years.
Varieties
When describing what the Arctic omul is, they usually mean two types:
- Coregonus autumnalis.
- Coregonus autumnalis migratorius.
The second species is called the Baikal omul. This is an endemic fish that lives in freshwater Baikal. From the lake where the omul is found, it goes to spawn in the rivers. This happens in the autumn period, from September to November.
Baikal omul is somewhat larger,its average weight reaches more than 1 kg. The largest fish caught by fishermen weighed 7 kg. The average length of the omul is 60-70 cm. A number of hypotheses have been voiced about how this species could seep from the ocean to Baikal. Traditionally, this fish was identified as a subspecies of the Arctic omul (Coregonus autumnalis migratorius), but later the results of genetic tests identified it as an independent species - Coregonus migratorius.
Scientific hypotheses
Since the final fat point in the definition of the Baikal omul has not yet been set, it will not be superfluous to describe how scientists are trying to explain its appearance in a freshwater lake. The most likely are 2 hypotheses:
- Omul on Baikal is a local form, that is, it is an endemic fish whose ancestors lived in the waters of Lake Baikal millions of years ago. In support of this hypothesis, not only scientific facts are given, but also folklore sources (legends, traditions, songs). And in contrast to the hypothesis, the opinion is put forward that endemics cannot be found in other parts of the planet, and salmon, similar to the Baikal omul, live in many places. In addition, the Arctic omul has very few differences from the Baikal omul.
- Baikal omul swam into the lake during the interglacial period from the Arctic Ocean along the Lena River. In defense of this hypothesis, facts of similarity between the two species are given.
However, if we take into account genetic studies, then the Baikal omul is somewhat closer to whitefish. This requires new theories about the origin of the species.
Ban on catching omul in Lake Baikal
Today, the Baikal omul is under threat. It's getting smaller and smaller. This led to the fact that the issue of a complete ban on catching fish of this species for 3 years, starting in 2017, was raised. Such a measure will allow the species to be preserved and restored as a natural resource. Poachers who illegally catch tons of fish annually will be more severely prosecuted.
Customers will not be harmed as it can be substituted for ocean-caught Arctic omul in markets and shops (although these species vary in taste).
It is worth noting that such measures were already taken in 1969, when the number of Baikal omul catastrophically decreased. The ban was in effect until 1979, after which it was concluded that the population would be restored.
What do omuls eat
Places where omul is found are cool, rich in oxygen, with clean water. The species lives in flocks, feeds on large crustaceans, gobies, fry of other fish. Fish are considered omnivores. If there is no larger prey, then they easily switch to plankton. During the feeding period, the species feeds very intensively in order to restore vitality. Chooses for this coastal, shallow areas of bays. The water here is not too s alty, rather brackish.
Baikal omul feeds on zooplankton, amphipods (crustaceans), young of other species.
Reproduction
In the Arctic cisco puberty occurs at 4-8 years. By this time his bodyless than 35 cm. For spawning, the species rises to the rivers, sometimes passing more than 1,000 km. On the spawning transition, the fish does not eat, as a result of which it loses a lot of weight. Females lay all the eggs in one go. Caviar from bottom-dwelling omul. It is not sticky, relatively large in relation to the size of the fish. Eggs in diameter from 1.5 to 2.5 mm. The laid eggs do not linger at the spawning site, they roll into the lower reaches of the rivers. Observations on the river Pechora showed that individuals from 4 to 13 years old were present in the spawning herd. During the life of the female spawns 2-3 times. After spawning, the fish slides downstream into the sea.
Puberty of the Baikal omul occurs at the age of 5 years. By this time, its length is at least 28 cm. In the spawning herd, there are individuals from 4 to 9 years old. The Baikal omul enters the rivers for breeding in two schools. The first takes place at the beginning of autumn (September), the second at a temperature of 4 ° C (October-November). For spawning, a site with rocky-pebble soil and a fast current is selected. After spawning, the omul goes downstream to Baikal.
Economic value
Omul is considered a valuable commercial fish. But its catch is limited. The priority right to catch Arctic omul, for example, in Chukotka, is enjoyed by indigenous people. The volume of allowable catch is determined by the regional Commission for the regulation of the production of anadromous fish species.
