The Russian name for this fish is lenok, the Evenki name is maigun, the Yakut name is limba, and the Turkic name is uskuch. There is another name, literary - Siberian trout. These are all names of one fish that lives in a variety of places - from west to east from the Urals to Sakhalin, and from the northern polar regions of Asia to the southern deserts of central Mongolia.
After reading the information in the article, you can find out some information about the uskuch fish: where it is found, etc.
A bit of history
In 1773, professor-naturalist P. S. Pallas (Academy of St. Petersburg) made the very first description of lenok. The famous Russian traveler did this on the basis of specimens that were mined in the Yenisei. Pallas attributed this fish to the genus of salmon and gave it the name Salmo lenok. In 1811, he renamed it Salmo coregonoides, believing that this fish is similar in appearance to whitefish.
A. Günther (German ichthyologist) in 1866, in the process of compiling a catalog of fish collections of the British Museum of History, took the lenok fish toindependent genus - Brachymystax.
Features
Uskuch fish (the so-called lenok in Altai), like taimen, belongs to the salmon family. It is considered a valuable commercial fish, but its abundance in many water bodies is relatively small.
This is a fairly large individual with a body length of up to 70 centimeters and a weight of 5 kilograms. According to external characteristics, it is a bit similar to taimen (especially individuals of medium size and smaller), but differs in smaller dimensions, valky body (snout is dumber, head is shorter), darker color and small scales.
The mouth of the fish is quite wide with medium-sized but sharp teeth. It should be noted that the teeth are located even on the tongue and palate. The uskuch fish is painted (see photo in the article) in a golden-brown or golden-blackish color, and on the sides of the head and body there are dark rounded spots, about the size of a pupil. There are large dark red stripes on the sides. Small fish are 8-19 across.
Distribution and lifestyle
The habitat captures water bodies of territories from Kazakhstan to the Amur, also found in Lake Teletskoye in Altai and in the lake basin. Markakol, located on the territory of Eastern Kazakhstan. The range of lenoks is close to the habitat of the taimen. They are found in Siberia - from the Ob River to the Kolyma, in the Amur basin, as well as in water bodies that flow into the Sea of Okhotsk and the Sea of Japan. The area of the Lenki in the northern territory of the Far East reaches the rivers Uda and Tugur, in the south - up to Yala andsouth of the Korean Peninsula. Uskuch fish is also found in the rivers of Northern China.
Lenca's wide range does not mean that there is a lot of it in all water bodies. In many places, people have tried to create unsuitable conditions for the habitat of this fish. For example, from the Urals to the Yenisei, this species is not numerous, and in some places it completely disappeared. But any avid angler, when asked what fish live in Siberian taiga rivers, will answer - lenok, taimen and grayling.
It should be said separately about the fish of Lake Markakol. A separate variety of lenok in this reservoir has formed a separate endemic predatory species that dominates this lake. The uskuch fish is widespread throughout the lake. In summer, the preferred place is the central part of the lake, and in autumn and spring, the coastal one. The caviar of this variety is larger, in comparison with the Siberian uskuch. The latter factor contributed to the total fish catch from the lake in the 20th century.
What can be cooked from uskuch fish
You can cook anything. This fish is suitable for frying, and for baking, and for fish soup. Here is one of the simple fish recipes.
This is stuffed lenok baked in foil. Required ingredients: uskuch fish, mushrooms, carrots, onions, lemon, cherry tomatoes, parsley, s alt, pepper, any fish seasoning.
Carrots are chopped on a medium grater, onions are cut into thin layers. Lenki are stacked on a baking sheet covered with foil. Several are made on fishnot very deep transverse incisions. All this is s alted, peppered and covered with fragrant fish seasonings. Then the fish is stuffed with cooked fried carrots and onions with the addition of parsley and cherry tomatoes. Lemon slices are inserted into the transverse cuts (both for taste and beauty). Each fish carcass is neatly covered with foil. The fish is sent to the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
While all this is being prepared, you can do the champignons. They should be lightly fried. Ready uskuchi are stacked on a tray and served with mushrooms, olives and herbs. Simple and delicious.
