The omul fish, the photo of which is in this article, is from the salmon order and the whitefish family. It is considered semi-passage and commercial. It is highly valued for its taste and he alth benefits. Does not live in all water bodies and is considered scarce.
Habitat
This fish can be of several varieties, depending on the habitat. The main ones are Arctic and Baikal. Anadromous omul (otherwise - Arctic) lives on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. For spawning, it rises to the Eurasian or North American rivers. On the territory of Russia, the Arctic omul lives in almost all northern water bodies, except for the Ob River.
The second form is Baikal fish. Omul Baikal lives mainly in Lake Baikal. Sometimes found in the Far East or in the tundra rivers of the Yenisei Bay. The Baikal omul is unevenly distributed in the lake. The southeast is just full of this fish, and in the northwest it is not at all.
Hypotheses for the appearance of the Baikal omul
There are two hypotheses put forward by scientists about the appearance of omul in Baikal. The first says that it is an endemic fish. Her ancestors lived in the lakemillions of years ago, and at that time the climate was warm. This hypothesis is supported by most scientists.
The second asserts that the Baikal omul is a fish that sailed into the lake during the interglacial period along the Lena River from the Arctic Ocean. Despite the fact that most scientists support the first hypothesis, its similarity with the Arctic counterpart is very strong. The Baikal omul differs only in some minor features.
Habitat Features
Omul is a fish that prefers to live in cold clean water rich in oxygen. Likes deep places. This is a schooling fish. Winters at great depths. It can descend to a depth of 300 meters. Omul is able to live in low-s alt water.
According to scientists, the Baikal omul prefers places where the lake connects with large rivers. There is the largest amount of silt, in which there are insect larvae and crustaceans so beloved by omul. This simplifies the search for food, probably, this is the reason for the greatest concentration of omul in such places.
Description
Omul is a semi-anadromous fish. The body is elongated, covered with small, tightly fitting silvery scales. The mouth is small, the jaws are the same length. Has an adipose fin. Silver body color. The back has a brownish-green tint, the belly is light, the sides and fins are silvery. During puberty, epithelial tubercles appear in males. A dark thin strip may run along the sides.
Omul is a small fish, usually does not exceed 800 gr. But sometimes large individuals come across. Themthe length reaches up to half a meter, and the mass is more than one and a half kilograms. Fish live no more than 18 years. On average, the life expectancy of omul is 11 years.
Food
Omul is a fish that, like most salmonids, stops eating only during spawning. At other times, the diet of fish is quite varied. In the diet - zooplankton, juveniles of small fish, benthic invertebrates. Fish fatten up in autumn and summer, eating mysids, crustacean plankton and gammarus in coastal zones.
Reproduction
The fish breeds 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 omul can take from 2 to 3 years.
This fish goes far to spawn, more than 1000 km. At the same time, it does not approach the shores and avoids shallow water, keeping in the middle of the channel. The omul spawns in early to mid-August. When approaching spawning grounds, a large school of fish breaks into small flocks.
Spawning omul fish begins in late September - early October. The water temperature at this time is not more than 4 degrees. For spawning, the omul chooses a sandy-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. Having swept aside the eggs, the omul goes to the feeding grounds. Omul can lay up to 67,000 eggs, which roll down the river without stopping in spawning grounds.
Economic value
Omul is a valuable commercial fish. Its uncontrolled catch has led to a sharp decrease in the population in Baikal. Over the past 50 years, the Baikal omul has been on the verge of extinction more than once. But thanks to timely bans on its catch, the fish population was restored. Now the omul is again under the threat of extinction.
Omul fish: useful properties and nutritional value
This is a very tasty fish. Almost 20% consists of fat, especially marine subspecies. The meat of the omul is quickly digested (in 1-1.5 hours) and has a great nutritional value. Fat in fish is located in the abdominal cavity, liver and subcutaneous layer. Evenly distributed over fins and muscles.
Omul is rich in fatty acids that 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 systems.
Mass fraction of omul bones is not more than 7%. Thanks to this, high-quality canned food is prepared from this fish. It is also used for diet food.
