In fact, in the genus burbot (lat. Lota), there is only one species, and it is found exclusively in fresh water. However, there is a sea fish that looks very similar to this freshwater inhabitant. Its official name is Menek (lat. Brosme brosme), but along with this it is also called sea burbot. From a scientific point of view, this is fundamentally wrong, but very common among fishermen.
Menek: what is this fish?
Menek is a large ray-shaped fish that lives in the northern waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Like the common burbot, it belongs to the cod family (lat. Gadidae), but, unlike other representatives of the taxon, has only one dorsal fin.
Menek is an inhabitant of deep sea waters. The commercial value of this fish is very small despite its large size and high nutritional value. The maximum dimensions of one individual reach 120 cm, and weight - 30 kg. However, burbot rarely grow to this size. Most of the small ones have a length of 50 to 95 cm, and the weight is about 12 kg. Females are usually larger than males.
What does a burbot living in the sea look like
Menek has a very elongated body, covered with small scales of light yellow color. The color on the back is darker than on the belly. The lateral line runs along the entire body from the head to the caudal stem, where it becomes intermittent. In the area of the anus, it bends, turning down.
A distinctive feature of the sea burbot from other cod fish is the presence of only one dorsal fin, which is long enough and stretched along the entire back, partially connecting with a shorter tail. The latter is notable for its rounded shape and has from 62 to 77 soft radiated. In the dorsal fin, their number is 85-107.
A strongly elongated body gives it a little resemblance to eel, but the sea burbot is much shorter and thicker than the latter. The spine of this fish numbers from 63 to 66 links. From head to tail, the torso is narrower wedge-shaped. Under the chin of the fish there is a mustache.
The abdominal fins of the sea burbot are quite wide and have a rounded shape; in the abdominal fins there is no elongated beam. The dorsal and anal fins are separated by a clearly visible notch.
Distribution area
Burbot - a resident of the North Atlantic. The range covers the coasts of several European countries, including:
- Great Britain.
- Norway.
- Ireland
- Iceland
In the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, they are less common from New Jersey to the Bell Island Strait in Canada and along the coast of Newfoundland. In small quantities, this species is found near the southern tip of Greenland. The range also affects part of the Barents Sea in the area of the polar archipelago of Svalbard and the Kola Peninsula.
Habitat and lifestyle
Sea burbot leads a benthic lifestyle at depths of 18 to 1000 m. The most characteristic range of this fish in the northwestern Atlantic is 145-150 m from the surface, and in the northeastern 18-149 m. A comfortable temperature range for sea burbot - from 0 to 10 ° C.
The habitats of the little ones are located at a considerable distance from the coast. These fish are characterized by a sedentary lifestyle of a single or group nature (with a small number of individuals). Migrations occur only during spawning.
Menek is a predatory fish. His diet includes:
- polychaetes (polychaete worms);
- mollusks;
- crustaceans;
- smaller fish.
Sometimes menek does not disdain to eat their own young.
Reproduction and Development
Menek reaches the reproductive age by 7-8 years. The spawning period lasts from April to August, with the peak in May. For breeding, sea burbots migrate upstream along the coastline. The main breeding grounds are located between Scotland and Iceland at a depth of 200 to 500 m. The shallow breeding ground (less than 50 m) is the Gulf of Maine.
During spawning, the female swallows up to 2 million eggs. This process is accompanied by courtship from the male, which, after allowing the partner, fertilizes the masonry. Plankton-type fry subsequently hatch from large floating eggs, which remain in shallow water until they reach a five-centimeter length. Then the calves move less to the depths, where they become benthic fish.
Sea burbot is characterized by slow growth. Malek becomes an adult after 5-6 years, reaching by this time a length of about 22 cm. Next, the fish adds about 10 cm per year. The average life expectancy is less than 17-18 years.
