Today we’ll talk about Üek fish. We learn all about fish, about where it lives, how it reproduces and what useful properties it has. Everything you need to know about capelin, read the article below.
Fish dishes have always been very popular. If you know how to cook seafood properly, you can not only eat very tasty, but also eat healthy. Regular consumption of fish is excellent for human health. It is important the quality of the fish, as well as the conditions for its processing. Under all conditions, you can eat fish regularly.
What does capelin mean?
The word "capelin" has very old roots. It is taken from the languages of the Karelian-Finnish group. Similar words in Finnish and Karelian languages mean a small fish, which is used as bait for cod fishing. However, the capelin fish also has a third name - the chaplane fish.
Fish description
Saltwater fish have three names, as we already understood. Capelin is a predatory fish. Belongs to the smelt family.
It has an elongated body, which is flattened on the sides. In length, it can reach from 15 to 25 cm, and in weight - up to 54 g. Scales throughout the body are almost the same size: those located on the sides of the abdomen and along the lateral line are only slightly larger than those that cover the back. The head of the fish is small in size, but it has a wide mouth gap. The bones of the upper jaw reach the middle of the eyes. As for the teeth, there are many, they are small and well developed.
A feature of fish is considered to be fins with a black border. The pectoral fins have a more rounded shape, while the dorsal fins are strongly extended back. The sides and belly of the capelin fish are silver with a white tint, and the back is greenish.
Differences between female and male
Uyek fish has a characteristic feature, which consists in the differences between the female and the male, which are visible to the naked eye. The male has long fins, his body is several times larger than the body of the female, and the head has a sharper shape. During the breeding season, hair-like scales grow on the side of the abdomen in males, which form a bristly surface. At the same time, the maximum lifespan of fish is no more than 10 years.
Varieties
Capelin fish is of the same name. Some researchers, for ease of accounting, divided it into 2 subspecies according to the principle of habitat. To date, distinguish between Pacific and Atlantic capelin.
Where to find?
This small fish chooses seawater. She lives at a depth of up to 300 m. In some cases, it can drop to 700 m. The Umek from the smelt never swims into fresh water or rivers. The best habitat for fish is seawater. Only during spawning does the fish approach the shores a bit.
Atlantic capelin can be found in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. It is also found in Labrador and the Strait of Davis, off the coast of Greenland, in the waters of the Chukchi, White, Kara, Barents and Laptev Seas.
Pacific capelin lives in the northern part of the ocean, which is limited by the island of Vancouver and the coast of Korea. Many schools of this small fish can be found in the Japan, Bering and Okhotsk seas.
Food
As mentioned earlier, уuk fish is a predator. Its nutrition consists of shrimp larvae, zooplankton and fish roe. Capelin also eats small crustaceans and sea worms. Since уuk is a very active fish, it needs a lot of energy. That is why even in the cold months capelin does not stop eating.
Spawning
To begin with, it is worth noting the fact that the spawning of this fish directly depends on the places in which it lives. Capelin, which lives on the western shores of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, spawns in spring and summer. Capelin, which lives in the east of the Atlantic, continues this process in the fall. Fish living in the eastern Pacific Ocean spawn all autumn.
Before heading to the place of spawning, small flocks gather in multi-million schools. Other predators that feed on capelin are seduced by such prey and pursue it. Capelin has to avoid gulls, seals, whales and cod. Often during the spawning of these fish ashore they throw millions.
What places for spawning choose capelin? Usually this is a large shallow area, which has a shallow depth and a sandy bottom. It is worth noting that some schools of fish prefer to throw eggs at great depths, reaching tens of meters. For the process to be successful, the water temperature should be about 2-3 ° C. Oxygen is very important. To fertilize one female, 2 males are needed, which accompany her on the sides. With the help of a tail, males make small pits at the bottom into which the female lays eggs. The eggs are very sticky, so they easily stick to the bottom. Their diameter reaches 0.5-1.2 mm. The number of laid eggs depends on the habitat. This number can fluctuate in crazy limits: from 5 to 39 thousand pieces. After throwing eggs, the fish returns to its natural habitat. Some individuals are sent to re-spawn, but they often die, returning back.
Approximately on the 28th day after fertilization, a larva appears, which at this point reaches 5-7 mm. During the course they are immediately carried away to the open sea, where they gradually turn into adults or die, becoming food for other predators. Young females become sexually mature the following year, but the males get the ability to fertilize only after 13-15 months.
Beneficial features
Capelin catch is very active, and all because of the fact that it is a welcome dish on every table. Regularly, uek fish is caught in huge volumes, which can reach 0.5 million per year. The matter is not only in the taste of this fish, although they are also important. Its low calorie content is greatly appreciated, making it the main ingredient in many diet foods. Capelin flesh consists of easily digestible proteins. Their content in fish is approximately 23%. In addition, since there are very few connective tissues in fish, it is prepared very quickly.
However, the point is not only that capelin is a dietary and tasty product. Among other things, it is still very useful. Fish contains polyunsaturated fatty acids. They can significantly reduce the level of cholesterol, which is collected on the walls of blood vessels. Regular consumption of capelin in food can be an excellent preventive measure against strokes, coronary heart disease, and heart attacks.
The flesh of this fish contains vitamins A, D, group B, which are necessary for the human body to function properly. Uyek fish is also rich in minerals: sodium, potassium, phosphorus, which is necessary for the prevention of dementia and improve human mental activity, and iodine, which plays a huge role in the functioning of the thyroid gland.
Capelin is that rare product that normalizes the production of sugar in the blood and even helps to lower it to normal levels. As you can see, Uyek fish is an indispensable ingredient for the diet of diabetics, losing weight and people who monitor their health.
At the same time, ёuk fish has some contraindications. It should not be eaten by those who have individual intolerance. It is not recommended to eat fish in too large quantities, since a high content of carcinogenic substances in it can contribute to the occurrence of malignant tumors. Even with proper processing, a large number of parasites can remain in the fish, which, in turn, can lead to the development of a number of diseases.
Economic value
Uyek fish on Sakhalin is of great economic importance. First of all, it is worth saying that this is a commercial fish. Its stocks are large in nature, so the catch in some years exceeded 4 million tons. From 2005 to 2009, the catch of this fish ranged from 270-750 thousand tons. In 2012, the global Uyk catch exceeded 1 million tons. The largest fish is caught in commercial catches. Her body reaches up to 20 cm in length.
