White fish, or nelma (Stenodus), already belong to the whitefish family. In this genus there is one widespread species with two subspecies - nelma and white fish. Like whitefish, nelma. (Stenodus leucichthys nelma) rather large, silvery scales and small eggs; The nuptial plumage is poorly expressed. But the mouth of the nelma is large, like that of salmon, and the features of the skull distinguish it from both salmon and whitefish.
Nelma – big fish, up to 130 cm long and weighing 30–35 kg.
Representatives of the salmon family: 1 - nelma (Stenodus leucichthys nelma); 2 - muksun (Coregonus muksun); 3 - chir, or shokur (Coregonus nasus).
Its fatty meat is very tasty. This species lives in northern rivers, from Ponoi and Onega in the west to the Yukon and Mackenzie rivers in the east. In America, nelma is called “stranger” (“inconnu”). The range of nelma is almost the same as the range of Arctic char, with the only difference being that nelma does not live in the basin Atlantic Ocean. Unlike char, which easily forms lake forms, nelma prefers rivers to lakes. This fish does not like salt water and, when going out to sea, sticks to desalinated estuarine areas. Arctic Ocean and northeastern Bering Sea. A significant part of our herd of nelma spends its entire life in the great Siberian rivers, migrating from the mouth to the upper reaches. The timing of the migration of nelma in different rivers varies greatly. Usually it begins to rise even under the ice and goes with greater or less intensity throughout the summer. It was noted that by the end of the run there are fish with immature gonads, which clearly do not have time to spawn this year (spawning in late September–October). These fish must spend a year in the river before spawning; they correspond to the winter form of salmon. Nelma is a relatively slow-growing fish. In the Yenisei, females reach sexual maturity in the 8th–10th year, in Pechora – in the 13th year, in Kolyma – in the 11th–14th year, in the Ob – in the 14th–18th year (males mature somewhat earlier). As a result, nelma populations are easily overfished. In a number of rivers, for example in the Lena and Anadyr, natural hybrids of nelma with different types of whitefish were discovered. Only in a few lakes is nelma found in significant quantities(lakes Zaisan, Norilsk, Kubenskoye in the basin Northern Dvina). Kubensky nelma is of particular practical importance.
Very close to nelma form whitefish (Stenodus leucichthys leucichthys) lives in the Caspian Sea basin. Apparently, the white fish came to the Caspian Sea from the north. There was no direct connection between the Caspian Sea and the Arctic Ocean, but the upper reaches of the Volga and its tributaries are very close to the upper reaches of rivers flowing into the Arctic basin. At the end of the Ice Age, huge lakes formed on watersheds, leaving behind thick layers of characteristic bottom sediments - ribbon clays. Water from the lakes flowed north and south. This is how a connection arose between the basins of the two seas, then interrupted and restored by human hands (Volga-Baltic and White Sea-Baltic canals). In this way, nelma, which became white fish, and a number of cold-water crustaceans - mysids, gammarids, and calyanids - entered the Caspian Sea. According to another hypothesis put forward by G.U. Lindberg, northern forms entered the Caspian Sea during the era of high levels of the World Ocean, when Western Siberia was flooded by the waters of the Arctic basin. The whitefish fed in the Caspian Sea, making regular migrations. In winter it concentrated in the northern part, in summer it went to the southern part, which was deeper and less warm at depth. For spawning, it entered mainly the Volga, rarely into the Urals, and in single individuals into the Terek. The main movement to the Volga began in September, its height was in the middle of winter (December, January and February). Previously, the white fish reached Uglich along the Volga, and Ryazan and Kaluga along the Oka, but the main spawning grounds were along the Ufa River.
The white fish grows faster than the nelma, matures in the 6th–7th year and manages to spawn no more than twice in its life. Its dimensions are smaller than nelma, maximum length up to 110 cm, weight up to 20 kg, on average the weight of females is 8.6 kg, males - 6 kg. Whitefish, like nelma, is a predator and in the sea feeds intensively on small fish: herring, juvenile roach, silverside and gobies. She eats nothing in the river, and the fat content of her meat decreases from 21 to 2%. Like nelma, whitefish has spring and winter forms. Severely thinned out after the construction of dams on the Volga, the white fish population is maintained thanks to the significant spawning areas of the Ural River. Single individuals that have passed all the obstacles to the Ufa River cannot play a significant role in replenishing the herd. In the lower reaches of the Volga, artificial breeding of whitefish is carried out.
Whitefish (genus Coregonus) Among all salmonids, it is apparently the most numerous, the most variable and the most unstudied genus. This includes fish with a somewhat laterally compressed body and a relatively small mouth. Often the upper jaw is shorter than the lower jaw, in such cases the mouth looks upward. Sigi with this upper mouth They feed on plankton and mainly small crustaceans living in the water column. Sometimes the jaws are the same length. This mouth is called the terminal mouth because it is located at the end of the snout. The head of a whitefish with a terminal mouth resembles the head of a herring, which is why they are often popularly called herrings (Pereslavl herring, Obskaya herring, Sosvinskaya herring, etc.), but the presence of an adipose fin immediately identifies them as salmonids. Whitefish, which feed on bottom-dwelling organisms, have a lower mouth, i.e., the upper jaw is much longer than the lower jaw. The coloring of whitefish is more modest than that of salmon: the body is covered with large silvery scales without bright colored spots. The wedding attire is also modest; Only males and very rarely females of some whitefish develop comb-like and tuberculate outgrowths on their scales and heads. Whitefish eggs are small, yellow, and the female does not bury them in the ground.
Despite the fact that the fatty and tasty meat of whitefish has long been highly valued by people and they are objects of intensive fishing, it is still unclear how many species and forms of whitefish live in our lakes and rivers. The reason lies in their extraordinary variability. Almost whitefish of any lake can be distinguished into a special form by structure, growth rate, nutrition, etc. So, in 1932. distinguished 20 forms in one type of whitefish; in 1948 There were already 57 of these forms, and 43 forms were indicated for the lakes of Karelia alone. American ichthyologists also described many species of whitefish in the waters of the USA and Canada. It should be said that ichthyologists are now intensively working on the final determination of the number of species in whitefish. Thus, whitefish from the lakes of Switzerland, where there were more than a dozen of them, were brought together into one species. The same revaluation is taking place here and in America.
The smallest whitefish living in the lakes of the Baltic Sea basin, in Karelia and in the Murmansk region, in the lakes of the upper Volga, west to Denmark, belong to the species European vendace (Coregonus albula).
The length of vendace is no more than 30–40 cm, weight, as an exception, up to 1200 g, usually much less. Some forms of vendace mature, reaching a length of 8 cm and a weight of 4–4.5 g. This is a slender, agile fish with a green back and silvery sides and belly. In some lakes there are vendaces of a golden-pink color. The vendace has an upper mouth; it feeds mainly on plankton (Fig. 77). Together with smelt and bleak, vendace consumes a significant part of the plankton of lakes. Although it is primarily a lake species, a significant population of vendace lives in the Gulf of Finland, from where it enters the Neva to spawn and spawns in Lake Ladoga. The entire variety of forms of European vendace can be divided into three large groups: 1) a typical, medium-sized form, mainly maturing in the 2nd year of life (males sometimes in the 1st year, and females in the 3rd year). Length about 16 cm and weight 25–50 g (maximum 130 g). Vendace rarely lives more than 4–5 years. It spawns half a day in autumn and early winter, often already under the ice on hard, sandy or rocky ground. It has been noted that this form prefers lakes with medium depths; 2) a large form of vendace, ripening in the 3rd year of life, with a length of 17–21 cm and a weight of 50–90 g, is called ripus (on Lake Onega- keel). Ripus live for at least 6–7 years and reach a weight of 200–400 g, extremely rarely 1 kg or more. They inhabit deep, cold-water lakes. Ladoga ripus in the spring, when the plankton biomass is low, switches to feeding on small fish (smelt). It can be distinguished from the common vendace that lives with it by the development of its reproductive products: a fifteen-gram vendace already has well-developed gonads, while in the ripus they are barely noticeable. The Onega kilets, reaching a length of 34 cm and a weight of 460 g (on average 100 g), lives at a depth of 15 m or more, feeding mainly on benthic mysid crustaceans. A similar form is described from Lake Lucin in Mecklenburg; it lives at depths of up to 58 m, and if it is pulled to the surface, its swim bladder inflates its belly, like a real deep-sea fish.
In our country, rhipuses serve as objects of breeding and acclimatization; they have been successfully introduced into a number of lakes, for example in the Ural lakes. It is known that the growth rate of ripus depends on nutrition. If juvenile ripus is fed with chironomids (bloodworms), it reaches 53 g per year, and with planktonic feeding - only 46 g. In three years, the Ladoga ripus, relocated to Lake Shartash, reaches a mass of 300 g.
Large (up to 300 g) and fatty vendace from Lake Pleshcheyevo (Pereslavl-Zalessky) - “Pereslavl herring” was awarded in 1675. royal decree. Concerned about the state of its reserves, Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich wrote to the Pereslavl voivode: “And if by your oversight, fishermen will learn to catch herring with frequent seines, and we, the great sovereign, will know about it, or small herring will appear in the market for our use, and you But from us, the great sovereign, we will be in disgrace, and the headman and fishermen will be subject to the death penalty.” Apparently, such drastic measures had an effect; 3) small vendace (10–15 g), ripening in the 2–3rd year. She lives only 3–4 years in small swampy lakes with acidic water (such reservoirs are called dystrophic).
In the water bodies of the Arctic Ocean basin, from the White Sea to Alaska, another species lives - Siberian vendace (Coregonus sardinella). It differs from the European one in that its dorsal fin is slightly shifted forward. Unlike the previous species, which prefers lakes, the Siberian vendace is mainly River fish, migrating up the river.
It often feeds in desalinated estuarine areas. However, it is found in lakes, for example in Beloozero. Siberian vendace can reach a length of over 40cm and a weight of over 500g. In many Siberian rivers it is the object of significant fishing; it is often incorrectly called herring. Like the European vendace, the Siberian vendace has large forms similar to ripus. They feed mainly not on plankton, but on large crustaceans (sea cockroaches, mysids) and young fish. They catch vendace in the rivers of Siberia, mainly during its spawning run. It goes all summer and spawns before the freeze-up; often the spawning ends under the ice. The female lays her eggs on the sand at a shallow depth (1–1.5 m) and does not bury them. There is an assumption that the eggs can freeze into ice without losing their viability.
The third type of our whitefish is tugun (Coregonus tugun), incorrectly called "Sosvinskaya herring" on the Ob. It differs from vendaces in having a terminal mouth with jaws of equal length, a more rounded body in cross-section and a wide back. Reaches a length of 20cm. Inhabits the rivers of Siberia, from the Ob to Khatanga, without going to sea, and, with rare exceptions, does not live in lakes. Along the Yenisei it reaches the Angara. Tugun is a typical river fish; it feeds on crustaceans and insects that have fallen into the water. There are also insects swarming above the surface of the water. Like vendace, it spawns in late autumn. Tugun is characterized by early sexual maturity; in Tom, it matures in the 2nd year of life. In many Siberian rivers it is found in commercial quantities.
Mentioned in songs (“omul barrel”), famous omul (Coregonus autumnalis) in our minds it is associated with Baikal. However, this is not quite true. Only its subspecies lives in Baikal. The omul itself is a migratory fish. It feeds in the coastal parts of the Arctic Ocean and goes to spawn in rivers from the Mezen to the rivers of Alaska and Northern Canada. Like the tugun, the omul has a terminal mouth, but more (up to 51) gill rakers. This large fish (up to 64 cm long and weighing up to 3 kg, Fig. 77) is a fish object in all Siberian rivers, with the exception of the Ob, which for some reason does not enter, although it is present in the Ob Bay. There are summer (June–July) and autumn runs of the omul. The fish that enter the river mature late and spawn the following year. Fishermen can clearly distinguish between a running sea omul and one that has lingered in the river: sea omul much fatter, his insides are literally filled with fat, and his intestines are completely empty. The omul feeds in the sea on large crustaceans (amphipods, mysids), juvenile gobies, whitefish fry, smelt, and polar cod. Getting to places with high concentration plankton, the omul switches to feeding on planktonic crustaceans. Like other whitefish, it spawns in the fall. Its natural crosses with other types of whitefish - muksun and pyzhyan - are not uncommon.
Baikal omul (Coregonus autumnalis migratorius) feeds itself in the vast expanses of Lake Baikal, where its food is mainly small crustaceans epishura. It has been established that omul feeds on epishura if its concentration is not lower than 30–35 thousand crustaceans per cubic meter of water. When there is a lack of basic food, it switches to feeding on pelagic amphipods and juveniles of the wonderful Baikal golomyanka fish. Omul is a large whitefish, reaching a weight of over 7 kg. In September Baikal omul enters rivers in preparation for spawning. There are three races of omul: 1) Angara (spawning in the Upper Angara, Kicher, Barguzin), the most early-ripening and slow-growing, maturing at the age of 5–6 years; 2) Selenga (spawning in Selenga, Bolshaya and other rivers east coast Baikal), fast growing and ripening at 7–8 years; 3) Chivyrkuiskaya (Big and Small Chivyrkui). This race starts spawning later than everyone else (from mid-October) and, like the Selenga race, grows quickly. Omul finishes spawning already during freeze-up, when slush floats across the spawning grounds. After spawning, it migrates to Baikal, where it winters at great depths. Intensive fishing for this fish has significantly reduced its reserves, so now to maintain the herd they resort to artificial breeding.
Peled (Coregonus peled), is easily distinguished from other whitefish by its terminal mouth, the upper jaw of which is only slightly longer than the lower jaw, and a large number of gill rakers (46–69). The color of the peled is darker than other whitefish on the head and dorsal fin small black dots. Peled is a tall-bodied fish, sharply different from the elongated, runaway vendace, tugun and omul. Peled length is 40–55 cm, weight is 2.5–3 kg, less often 4–5 kg. Peled inhabits lakes and rivers in northern Eurasia, from Mezen in the west to Kolyma in the east. It does not go into the sea; it is only occasionally found in the slightly salty water of Kara Bay. As a rule, peled avoid flowing waters, concentrating in flood lakes, oxbow lakes, and channels. Peled also spawn in lakes. These features made peled a desirable object for acclimatization in small lakes. IN Lately Peled became an object of commercial cultivation. Peled has three forms: a relatively fast-growing river form, which lives in rivers and floodplain lakes and matures in the 3rd year of life; the usual lake form, which does not leave the lakes in which it was born, and the dwarf lake form, with suppressed growth, living in small lakes poor in food organisms. The latter rarely reaches a mass of 500g. Like other whitefish, peled spawns in the fall, often already under the ice.
In the lower and middle reaches of the Amur, in Zeya, Ussuri, Lake Khanka, the Amur Estuary and lakes of Sakhalin it lives Ussuri whitefish (Coregonus ussuriensis). Its mouth, like that of the peled, is terminal, the upper jaw barely protrudes above the lower jaw, and there are from 25 to 30 gill rakers.
Representatives of the salmon family: I - European vendace (Coregonus albula); 2 - omul (Coregonus autumnalis); 3 - Ussuri whitefish (Coregonus ussuriensis); 4 - pyzhian (Coregonus lavaretus pidschian).
The Ussuri whitefish does not avoid salt water, preferring cold lakes and tributaries. Its length rarely reaches 50cm. It feeds on small fish and larvae of aquatic insects. The Amur is one of the important fishing grounds.
Chir, or shokur (Coregonus nasus), eats for the most part bottom insects and mollusks. His mouth is low, his upper jaw protrudes forward. The broadhead's head is small, with a humpbacked snout and small eyes; There are 18–28 gill rakers, the color is dark, on the sides of the body there are silver-yellow stripes on the scales (Fig. 76). Whitefish reaches quite large sizes: in Kolyma, individuals up to 17 kg have been caught, but usually much less - 2–4 kg. It inhabits lakes and rivers of the Arctic Ocean basin, from Pechora to Cape Shelag in America, is found in the rivers of Canada, and is found in Anadyr and Penzhina, which flow into the Bering and Okhotsk Seas. Whitefish prefer to feed in lakes, but spawn in rivers in October - November, during the period of the first ice appearance. sea water chir, as a rule, avoids. In different parts of its range, the broad whitefish is subject to significant variability. Like other whitefish, it is hunted in many of our Siberian rivers.
Common whitefish (Coregonns lavaretus) is characterized by particularly strong variability. This species is divided into many forms, similar only in the lower position of the mouth and a larger head than that of the white broad with a less humpbacked snout. The number of gill rakers can vary from 15 to 60, they can be smooth or jagged, the body is high or low, elongated. These whitefish can be migratory, river or lake, large or small, they can feed on bottom planktonic organisms and be predators. Not surprisingly, many forms of whitefish have been described, often without sufficient substantiation. Recently, the opinion has become increasingly widespread that there is one species (Coregonus lavaretus) anadromous, distributed pirumpolarly, from the Murmansk coast to Alaska and northern Canada (American whitefish, apparently identical to this species, was distinguished as the species Coregonus clupeaformis - herring whitefish) . Whitefish extremely easily forms residential forms, the number of which is much greater than the number of migratory ones, and they are distributed much more widely, reaching south to the lakes of Switzerland. It is probably not advisable to crush this species, since most forms transform into each other extremely easily. In general, wherever whitefish live, they fall into two forms, often living together. This is a few-stamen form (up to 30 gill rakers), feeding on benthos and small fish, and a multi-stamen form (more than 30 gill rakers), consuming mainly plankton. These two forms were found in our lakes Kola Peninsula, Finland, Scandinavia and Switzerland. Each of them originates from the corresponding multi- and few-stamen forms of anadromous whitefish. The multistamen and few-stamen forms, in all likelihood, cannot transform into each other. This is evidenced by the experience carried out by our fish farmers, who resettled the anadromous whitefish and the small-stamened whitefish from Lake Peipus to Sevan. In the new place, the number of gill rakers in the first form decreased from 39 to 36, and in the second it increased from 23–24 to 25–26. This is explained by the fact that the forms that previously ate different foods and Sevan began to consume the same object - amphipods; however, the small-stamen whitefish did not become multi-stamen and vice versa.
Numerous forms of residential freshwater whitefish in Europe are descended from anadromous whitefish feeding in the Baltic and North Seas. The small-stanched form goes to the Neva, Daugava, Neman, Vistula, as well as the rivers of Denmark, Sweden and Finland. The multistamen form (Pallas whitefish) leads a similar lifestyle. Currently, the number of migratory whitefish is negligible, and, unlike lake whitefish, they have no commercial significance. A number of forms have been described for Lakes Ladoga and Onega. Particularly interesting is the Valaamka whitefish, or ridge (pit) whitefish. It lives in Lake Ladoga at depths of more than 50 m; when he is pulled to the surface, his stomach swells. The same deep-sea forms are known from the deep lakes of Switzerland.
Whitefish from the lakes of our North-West were repeatedly transported at the egg or fry stage to other water bodies. In some cases the transplants were very successful. Peipus whitefish were successfully transported to Japan.
In the Arctic Ocean basin, starting from Murmansk and the White Sea, forms of a special subspecies of migratory whitefish are common. This whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus pidschian). Pyzhyan belongs to the few-stamened whitefish and differs from the typical form by its higher caudal peduncle. The rivers and lakes of the Kola Peninsula are inhabited by the multi-stamened typical whitefish and the few-stamened (less than 30 stamens) whitefish. The marine, i.e. migratory, pyzhyan lives only in the Barents and White Seas. Further to the east, in the Kara, Ob, rivers of Siberia from the Yenisei to the Lena, in Kolyma and Anadyr, various semi-anadromous whitefish live, which do not go into the ocean. All of them are derivatives of the migratory pyzhyan that once existed there.
Whitefishes also live in lakes. Special forms are described for Lake Teletskoye in the Ob and Baikal basin. Two forms live in Baikal. One of them, Baikal whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus baicalensis), spawning in the lake, occupies an average place between the forms known to us in terms of the number of stamens (25–33), so it is unclear which form it should be classified as. The second Baikal form is the Barguzin whitefish, which enters the Barguzin River for spawning and is close to the whitefish in the number of gill rakers. Baikal whitefish are characterized by rapid growth.
The whitefish inhabiting Shilka, Argun, Amur, and Ussuri has been identified as a special species - whitefish (Coregonus chadary). It differs from the Pyzhyan in the shape of its head and small black spots on the head and back.
The muksun (Coregonus muksun), which has from 44 to 78 stamens, has even more stamens than the multistamen form of the anadromous whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus). This is a semi-anadromous whitefish, feeding in the desalinated coastal waters of the Arctic Ocean, from where it goes to spawn in the Kara, Ob, Yenisei, Lena and Kolyma, although without rising high. Muksun in the sea feeds on amphipods, mysids and sea cockroaches. Occasionally it reaches a weight of more than 13 kg, its usual weight is 1–2 kg. Spawns in October - November before freeze-up, on rifts with flagstone and pebble bottoms. Muksun is one of the most important commercial fish Siberia, its catches are measured in tens of thousands of centners. Lake forms of muksun living in Norilsk lakes have also been described.
Along with some of our whitefish, which have an almost circumpolar distribution and live, in addition to our waters, in the waters of Alaska and Northern Canada (omul, redfish, vendace), North America also has its own specific species, related both to the whitefish of the genus Coregonus and to a special kind rollers (Prosopium). There are six species of rolls in America, and we have one species from this genus - whitefish or pipit (Coregonus cylindraceus). The body of the roller is round and valval in cross-section, which is why it got its name. Juveniles have distinct dark spots on their sides and back. The roll reaches a length of 42 cm. We live in the rivers of Siberia, from the right tributaries of the Yenisei to the Kolyma.
American roller (C. cylindraceus quadrilateralis), distinguished by a smaller number of scales in the lateral line and gill rakers, also lives in our rivers flowing into the Okhotsk (Penzhina, Kukhtui, Okhota) and the Bering Sea (Anadyr, rivers of the Koryak land). American roller is very widespread (from Alaska to the Great Lakes and New England) on the American continent. The commercial value of the windrow is insignificant. During the spawning of chum salmon, the American jack can eat its eggs, as do loaches, lenok and others. freshwater fish. In addition to it, four more species of this genus live in America.
The whitefish is considered a representative of the salmon family, namely whitefish. It is recognized as the largest of the mentioned species, which is noticeable in the photo. Its length can reach 1–1.5 m, and its weight is 30–50 kg. This average is 5–10 kg. This semi-anadromous fish is sometimes called nelma.
Belorybitsa found in northern rivers. This could be western Onega or Ponoy. In general, the habitat is similar to that of Arctic char. However, unlike it, the whitefish prefers rivers rather than lakes. It is necessary to take into account the fact that it avoids salt water, therefore, when entering the sea, it adheres to certain spaces of the Bering Sea or the Arctic Ocean.
Species of whitefish
Most of the whitefish remain in Siberian rivers throughout their lives. It is worth noting that recently fish rarely rise above Kalmykia. This is explained by massive poaching, as well as the unregulated nature of the Volga. Fish can be found in the Urals, but this does not happen often.
The rivers where the most representatives of the species are found include:
- Lena.
- Yenisei.
- Irtysh.
Modern fishermen often catch whitefish in summer and autumn using a variety of spoons, which as a result leads to to a decrease in the number of whitefish. This process is also explained by the deterioration of reproduction conditions.
Whitefish nutrition
It is worth noting that during spawning, the whitefish rises up the river, destroying a lot of small fish in the process. So, mainly in the early hours and closer to night, the fish goes to the upper layer of water for subsequent hunting. She breaks into the school, stuns it with her tail and eats the fish.
This the only representatives whitefish that lead only predatory image life. They begin to feed on fish when their bodies reach a length of about 30 cm. The diet of young animals consists of mysids, as well as insect larvae. Adult white fish eat omul, carp, broad whitefish and perch. Sometimes you come across smelt, grayling and young pike.
It is known that in the Caspian Sea summer period white fish feeds in the middle part of the sea, being at a depth of 30–50 m. During this period, it eats sprat and young herring. In autumn, with the transition to the northern part, gobies and roach appear in the diet.
It should be noted that today the food supply has deteriorated significantly, which was caused by the appearance of Mnemiopsis in the Caspian Sea.
Spawning
Whitefish matures at approximately 4–5 years. Accordingly, the body length of females should reach 90 cm, and the same figure for males is at least 80 cm. The spawning stock living in the Volga is represented mainly by 6–8-year-old females and 5–6-year-old males.
It should be taken into account that the lifespan of the white fish is on average 8–10 years.
The whitefish, which has reached sexual maturity, enters the Volga with the onset of autumn. Previously, when the dams had not yet been built, it reached the Kama and even further. The main spawning grounds could be found in the upper reaches of the Kama. First I rose old fish, after which the young woman walked. This journey took 4 months.
Spawning usually occurs in October-November. For this purpose, the fish chooses sandy or rocky soil in areas where spring water comes out. One whitefish lays from 100 to 400 thousand eggs.
The larvae hatch in March - May, after which the young go to sea. The whitefish does not feed during the spawning process, but immediately after this period ends, it begins to fatten up. Repeated spawning of each female occurs after 2–3 years. Accordingly, throughout her life she lays eggs twice.
After the regulation of the Volga, a small area next to the Volgograd hydroelectric power station was allocated specifically for the spawning of whitefish.
Fishing methods
When fishing, it is important to take into account that the whitefish is very careful, cunning and timid. She needs a flow clean water, so on the shore the fish die very quickly. It is also important to remember that in different regions In Russia, catching this representative of salmon is prohibited.
To catch white fish, silver elongated oscillating fish are used. spinners and spinners. It can also be wobblers and gear that involves planting fresh fish. It will be possible to catch representatives of whitefish by overlapping. The ideal season for fishing is from April to November.
You can catch fish in the middle water column or near the surface. It is here that, as a rule, morning fishing is most successful, but at night it is almost impossible to catch white fish. When going fishing, you need to remember that the fish will desperately and energetically resist, but after a couple of sharp throws it will exhaust itself, which means it can be picked up with a landing net.
Commercial significance and gastronomic value
All salmonids that are of commercial importance protected by the state. Accordingly, as already mentioned, catching white fish in the southern and central parts of Siberia is prohibited. The exception is the northern outskirts, where industrial mining previously took place.
White fish meat is distinguished by its high taste qualities . You can prepare various dishes from fish. Moreover, the meat contains not only proteins and fats, but also vitamin PP, as well as chromium, fluorine, molybdenum and zinc.
People who are on therapeutic diet, should eat only lean fish. Its advantage is its easy digestibility by the body. However, due to the presence of unsaturated fats, white fish is considered a perishable product. So, after staying on the floor for a long time fresh air or when high temperature it will go rancid.
Whitefish dishes are distinguished by their nutritional properties and health benefits. It contains a balanced combination of amino acids and fats. Many dishes are prepared from meat, including real delicacies.
Whitefish is considered very delicious fish, which is not easy to catch, because it is characterized by timidity and caution. For such fishing you need to go to the Caspian Sea basin, and you can also try fishing on the Volga. It is important to remember that in some regions It is prohibited to catch this fish at the legislative level.
Whitefish - what kind of fish? Often, when answering this question, inexperienced fishermen equate it with salmon. But in fact, nelma is only its subspecies. Stedonus leucichthys belongs to the Salmonidae family and subfamily Whitefish. It is considered rare and is an expensive delicacy. Belorybitsa is considered the most valuable commercial object.
Where does he live?
The main habitat of this fish is considered to be the Caspian basin, but it often enters the waters of the Volga and numerous Siberian reservoirs (Lena, Irtysh, Yenisei, Ob). This representative of the fauna is found in the waters of the Urals, Northern Dvina and other rivers.
Due to poaching and uncontrolled fishing, the number of this species is decreasing every year. In order to preserve the population and increase gross income, white fish are released into artificial ponds and reservoirs.
According to statistics, in the thirties of the last century this fish was caught in tons in the Caspian Sea. In the sixties, the number decreased sharply, and a temporary fishing ban was even established. From the 60s to the 80s of the twentieth century, a total of about seventy million heads of young animals were released into the Volga, Yenisei and reservoirs in the Urals.
Description
What does a whitefish look like? What kind of fish is it and how can it be distinguished from other valuable species? Firstly, it has an elongated but laterally flattened body. Secondly, the whitefish is distinguished by its unusual coloring: the back is bluish, and the sides and belly are gray with a silvery tint. In terms of size, the average length of this fish is about 1.3 m -1.5 m.
We have already noted that it is often confused with nelma. But the latter can reach a weight of up to fifty kilograms. As for the white fish, the largest recorded weight of this fish was 14.5 kg. Representatives of this species usually spawn in the autumn. One fish can lay more than four hundred thousand eggs.
Meat composition
If you ask health professionals the question: “White fish - what kind of fish?”, then the majority will recognize it as one of the most useful. In addition to the well-known calcium, which is found in the meat of all fish, white fish also contains vitamin PP, chlorine, zinc, molybdenum and nickel, which is beneficial for human health.
White fish meat is recognized as the most dietary, low-calorie (110 kilocalories per 100 g of product) and easily digestible. This product is ideal for dietary nutrition as it contains essential healthy fats.
Beneficial features
Because of its qualities and rich vitamin composition, white fish meat is valued by chefs all over the world. Dishes made from this fish are recommended for people suffering from diseases. gastrointestinal tract, skeletal system And thyroid gland. Scientists have proven that regular consumption of this meat reduces the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and the development of problems with the hematopoietic system.
Preparation
So, we have already dealt with the question: “White fish - what kind of fish?” How to cook? This is the second point that should be given special attention. Like any other fish, whitefish can be baked in the oven, cooked over coals, salted and served with boiled potatoes and fresh green onions.
You can cook more gourmet dishes, baking the product in foil or over an open fire, flavoring the meat with some unusual sauces. And the white fish soup turns out simply amazing. Today we will share with you the most popular and easy-to-prepare recipes that even an inexperienced housewife can handle.
Pickling
Fragrant white salted fish can be served at the festive table on a piece of black bread with butter - the dish looks impressive. But salted fish in the store will cost a decent amount. It is much more convenient and cheaper to prepare it in your own kitchen.
How to pickle white fish? To do this you will need:
- One fish carcass (gutted, cleaned, removed fins and head).
- 5-7 black peppercorns.
- Salt or a ready-made spice mixture for salting fish meat.
- Two bay leaves.
Open the carcass and rub it with salt. Experienced housewives determine the amount of salty mixture by eye. Some people like their fish more salty, while others prefer lightly salted fish. After this, the white fish must be sprinkled with ground black pepper. Place bay leaves and peppercorns inside the carcass. Place the fish in a large container. Choose a smaller lid and place it on top. You will also need to install a bend on the container.
The container with fish sits in the kitchen (warm) for a couple of hours, and then is put in the refrigerator for 6-10 hours. It is better to salt the white fish overnight, then in the morning you will have a ready-made, aromatic salted fish on your table.
Stuffed whitefish
Now you have an idea of what a white fish looks like and what kind of fish it is. How to cook? Each housewife decides on this for herself. Like any fish, white fish can be baked - it turns out surprisingly tasty.
We clean the fish and remove the fins. Grease the carcass with salt and add ground black pepper. For the filling we take finely chopped carrots, one onion and finely chopped pieces of bell pepper. You can rub the top of the fish with chopped or dry garlic.
The baking foil should be lightly greased with olive or other vegetable oil. This is done to prevent the fish skin from sticking. Wrap the white fish in foil and place it on a baking sheet. The whitefish in the oven will be ready in twenty minutes. A very quick recipe, but the result is amazingly aromatic and low in calories.
If stuffed fish is not to your taste, then you can bake the vegetables separately, also wrapping them in foil or simply placing them next to the fish on a baking sheet. In this case, cooking the white fish may take a little longer - everything will depend on the type of vegetables you use.
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Soups are perhaps the most popular fish dishes. To prepare fish soup, you need a very simple set of products - they can be found in any refrigerator in every kitchen.
- One large carcass (can be replaced with a kilogram of fish heads).
- Two small potatoes.
- One large carrot.
- Onion.
- Bay leaf.
- Salt and peppercorns (to taste).
- Two liters of water.
First, let's prepare the fish. If it is an uncleaned carcass, then we remove the insides, cut off the fins, and remove all that is unnecessary and unnecessary. It is recommended to cook the fish broth separately, after placing the fish (or heads) in a gauze bag. This way you will have an amazingly clean and clear boneless broth. You don’t even have to strain it after cooking. We just take out the gauze with the fish and that’s it.
When cooking the broth, add black peppercorns, bay leaves and a little salt. You can add one whole onion. This will make the broth even clearer. Cook for about half an hour. Don’t forget to skim off the foam that appears during the cooking process. When the fish is ready and the broth becomes rich, you can remove the bag from the gauze.
While the whitefish is cooling, add diced potatoes and finely chopped carrots into the broth. Cook the vegetables until done. After that, add the fish meat. To make the soup aromatic and have an exquisite taste, you can add a pinch of dried lemon balm, a little fresh parsley, dill or cilantro, as well as a little hop-suneli seasoning to the almost finished dish.
Some housewives sauté onions and carrots before adding them to the fish soup. A kind of soup frying is done. But this method of preparing fish soup is not suitable for those who are watching their figure or cannot eat fried vegetables for health reasons. The dish is served with sour cream or a small piece of butter.
White fish, the recipes for which we have offered you today, is an amazingly tasty and incredibly useful product. Cooking it, as the housewives say, is a pleasure. You don’t need to spend a lot of time, you don’t need complicated and hard-to-find ingredients.
Now you know what white fish is, what kind of fish it is and how to cook it at home. Whether she was caught with her own hands in the stormy waters of the Caspian Sea or bought in an ordinary supermarket - it doesn’t matter. The main thing is to approach the cooking process with soul and add a pinch of creativity and culinary inspiration to the fish dish.
Belorybitsa – amazing fish with the most delicate tasty and very healthy meat. Today it is a rare product and is recognized as a real delicacy. What kind of fish the whitefish is is described below.
Whitefish - what kind of fish is this?
Whitefish is a large fish with a very delicate delicious meat. It can grow up to 1.5 m in length. The maximum weight is more than 14 kg.
It lives in the Caspian basin, in Siberian reservoirs, and in the waters of the Volga. Currently, white fish are being actively released into artificial reservoirs in order to maintain its population, despite active poaching.
Buying fish today is not easy. It is an expensive delicacy that cannot be found in regular supermarkets. It is mainly prepared by the wives of fishermen in the eastern part of Russia, where whitefish can be caught in one of the many reservoirs.
Benefits and harms for the human body
Nutritionists note that white fish is one of the most useful species fish for the human body. This is due to its unique composition, which includes a large number of calcium, vitamins, zinc, chlorine and other essential substances. Its calorie content is only 112 kcal per 100 g of product. Therefore, dishes from the fish under discussion are ideal for children's and dietary nutrition. You can enjoy boiled white fish even during the strictest diet.
It is recommended to eat fish for people who have problems with the stomach and intestines, as well as those suffering from ailments of the thyroid gland and skeletal system. It has been scientifically proven that regular appearance of white fish on the menu significantly reduces the risk of strokes and heart attacks.
If a person has liver and/or pancreas diseases, then the fish in question should be eaten with caution. Best of all – boiled and in minimal portions.
Recipe for king fish soup
Ingredients:
150 g fish;100 g potatoes;
50 g carrots;
50 g onion;
450 ml filtered water;
salt to taste.
Preparation:
Pour water over the fish pieces along with the bones, add salt and cook.After 17 - 20 minutes, add all the chopped vegetables to them.
Salt the soup to taste.
Cook it until the white fish and potatoes are ready.
Such a dish from king fish The youngest members of the family will also like it. In the form of seedless puree, it can be given even to children from one year old.
Bake in foil in the oven
Ingredients:
1 kg of fish;1 large lemon;
1 sweet and sour apple;
table salt and spices for fish.
Preparation:
Carefully cut up the whitefish - remove all excess from the carcass and rinse with cold water. Wipe dry on all sides with paper towels.Wash the lemon with a brush. Cut into two parts. Squeeze the juice from one half and brush the fish on all sides. Cover the white fish with salt and spices.
Cut the other half of the citrus into thin pieces. Also chop the apple along with the skin. Place fruit slices inside.
Wrap the carcass in foil.
Bake the white fish in the oven at 170 – 180°C for a little over half an hour. Spinach and sorrel go well with it.
How to deliciously pickle white fish
Ingredients:
1.5 kg of white fish;2 medium onions;
2 – 4 garlic cloves;
table salt and freshly ground pepper;
vegetable oil.
Preparation:
Place the fish carcass in a bowl of water and remove the scales using a sharp knife. The water will prevent the latter from scattering throughout the kitchen.Gut the white fish and cut off its head. Remove fins and tail. Rinse the remaining part well with running cold water, both inside and outside.
Cut the fish into two parts along the ridge. Remove all large bones. Carefully remove the ridge, helping yourself with a wide knife.
Season the fillet well with salt and pepper.
Finely chop the peeled garlic and onions. Pour half of it onto cling film spread on the table. Add a little salt on top.
Place the fish layer on the resulting vegetable “pillow”. Also spread some onion and garlic on top. Cover the structure with a second layer of fish. Sprinkle with remaining vegetables.
Wrap the workpiece in cling film.
Place the fish carcass in the refrigerator for 48 hours.
Cut the finished treat into small pieces, sprinkle with dill, parsley and green onions, and serve.
Fish fried in a frying pan
Ingredients:
600 g of white fish;70 ml quality olive oil;
50 ml classic soy sauce;
100 g wheat flour;
a mixture of ground pepper, coriander, dried paprika and salt.
Preparation:
Remove scales from the fish carcass. Rinse well and cut into portions.In a separate bowl, mix soy sauce and all the stated spices, ground together.
Pour the resulting marinade over the fish pieces. Leave it like this for 3 – 4 hours.
Pour the flour onto a flat wide plate. Add coarse salt to it. The amount of this ingredient should be minimal, since the marinade is already quite salty from the soy sauce.
Bread the white fish slices in flour.
Place them in a cast iron frying pan with well-heated olive oil. Fry first on one side and then on the other until a beautiful golden brown crust appears.
This way you can cook white fish very quickly and easily. You can complement the resulting dish with any side dish and mild sauces, onions or horseradish.
Boiled king fish
Ingredients:
1 kg of fish;3 onions;
1 bay leaf;
5 – 10 peas of allspice;
1/2 bunch of parsley along with sprigs;
1 celery root, parsnip, parsley.
Preparation:
Place whole peeled onions and all other ingredients stated in the recipes, except fish, into the pan. Boil.Clean the white fish from scales. Remove the fins, cut off the head and tail.
Cut the remaining part into pieces and place in boiling water.
Cook for 40 – 70 minutes depending on the size of the slices. Serve the dish with potatoes and pickled vegetables.
Stuffed whitefish in the oven
Ingredients:
2.5 kg of white fish;1 egg;
1 onion;
250 g white bread;
1 tbsp. milk;
1 carrot;
3 garlic cloves;
2 bay leaves;
salt and pepper.
Preparation:
Remove scales from the fish. Remove fins, head, tail.Cook broth from the cut off parts with bay leaves.
Cut the remaining portion into thick pieces. Carefully cut off the skin in a whole circle.
Separate the fillet from the bones and pass through a meat grinder.
Add bread soaked in milk, pieces of onion and carrot to the minced meat. Pass the mixture again with vegetables through the meat grinder.
Season the mixture with salt and pepper. Fill the remaining pieces of leather with it.
Place the preparations in a baking dish, pour in warm, strained and salted broth.
Bake the whitefish in this form for 60 – 70 minutes at 180°C. Serve with beet salad or any other vegetable side dish.
Few housewives (even experienced ones) know how to cook white fish and, as a result, exclude the product from their menu. Its meat is low-calorie, dietary and easily digestible. At the same time, it contains fats and other substances that are beneficial for the human body. Therefore, it is worth getting acquainted with such fish and be sure to pamper your family with dishes made from it.
There is an angular fin in the middle of the back; an adipose fin is located closer to the tail. On the body and belly there are two pectoral, two abdominal and an anal fins. The tail is V-shaped.
This semi-anadromous predator, of the salmon family, genus whitefish, lives up to 10 years and reaches a respectable size of 1-1.5 m and weighs 30-50 kg. The average fishing weight ranges from 10 to 20 kg.
The whitefish feeds mainly on juveniles of other fish, although it does not disdain its offspring.
Habitats
1. The true whitefish (Stedonus leucichthys leucichthys) lives in the Caspian Sea basin, leads a semi-anadromous lifestyle, wintering in the sea, and in the spring leaving for rivers.
- Volga
- White
- Chusovaya
- Terek
- Kamu and others. Where it stands in pits before spawning, feeding on small fish.
2. Another species, the northern whitefish Nelma (Stedonus leucichthys nelma) can be found in rivers flowing into the Arctic Ocean.
- Irtysh
- Yenisei
- Onega
- Ponoy
- Alenek
Spawning
Sexual maturity of the whitefish occurs at 4-5 years of age. Spawns once every two years. The real white fish enters the Volga for spawning and rises along it to the spawning grounds. The rise may take up to 4 months. In October–November, having gathered in sections of rivers with rocky or sandy soil in places where there are springs, it spawns. One female spawns 100-400 thousand eggs, which stick to the ground. In March-May, as the water warms, the eggs hatch into fry, which roll into the sea, feeding on insect larvae and crustaceans for the first months of their lives. Having reached 30 cm in size, they switch to eating fish.
During spawning, the whitefish does not hunt, but upon completion it begins to feed heavily.
Fishing
What to catch white fish with
Since the whitefish is an exclusively predatory fish, appropriate gear is used to catch it. They catch it both with donks, where small fish are used as bait, and with a spinning rod. For spinning, select small rotating or oscillating spoons white. They use tackle with dead fish or, more recently, various silicone baits in light colors. It can also be caught using wobblers.
Like all salmon, it also bites on a fly when fly fishing. Animal baits other than live bait are used.
- Motyl
- Maggot
- Worm
Artificial baits
- Spoon
- Wobblers
- Silicone baits
- Front sights
Where to catch white fish
The whitefish is cautious and shy fish, which should be caught on the stream of water of the main and reverse flow. Most often it hunts small fish in the middle and upper layers of water.
When to catch white fish
She bites best in the morning and evening hours. It is almost impossible to catch at night. The fishing season lasts from April to November. The caught predator actively resists, but gets tired very quickly, which makes it easy to catch with a net.
It should be remembered that the fish belongs to the Red Book and in many areas fishing for white fish is prohibited.
Recently, due to the fishing of white fish by poachers and the deprivation of fish from natural spawning grounds, the number of white fish has greatly decreased, and given the fact that it lives for 8-10 years and only manages to spawn twice in its life. It may disappear as a species completely.
Therefore, fishing for predators is prohibited. And due to its small numbers, capture is random, most often in the summer or autumn immediately after spawning when it rolls down from fresh rivers into the sea.
Cooking recipes
Although the fish is prohibited, no one is safe from accidentally catching it. If it is not possible to release the trophy back into the water element due to injuries received during falling out or biting. Then there is nothing left to do but find out the recipes for preparing whitefish.
Fish meat is extremely tasty and healthy, one of the dishes that can be prepared from it.
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Step by step recipe
Will need
- fish (head, tail, fins, bones) 0.5 kg
- 6 small potatoes
- 2 small onions
- carrots 1pc
- 7 spicy peppercorns, 3 bay leaves
- bunch of dill
- salt to taste
- We clean the fish from scales, gut it, separate the head and tail, and cut off the fillets. Fish meat makes excellent russula.
- Remove the gills from the head, place the head, tail, and bones in a deep saucepan.
- Fill with 3 liters cold water, add salt and cook over low heat until foam appears.
- Remove the foam, add pepper seasoning, bay leaf, one onion, cook for 30 minutes.
- We take out the additives from the broth, strain through a sieve and add finely chopped onions, diced potatoes and carrots. Cook over low heat, covered, for 20 minutes.
- We decorate the fish soup, poured into portions into plates, with well-washed and finely chopped herbs.
Baked white fish
Caught or purchased fish can be baked in foil using the oven or coals of a fire; cooking time is 1 hour-1 hour 10 minutes. 86 kcal per 100 g. This way the fish turns out very tasty.
Will need
- carcass 850 gr
- lemon fruit
- garlic 2 cloves
- onions 2 pcs. (custom size)
- olive oil 3 tbsp. lodge (can be replaced with vegetable)
- tomato, bell pepper 1 piece each
- carrots medium 2
- fish seasonings to taste
- a pinch of salt, preferably sea salt.
- greens (parsley or dill)
To cook deliciously you need
- Clean, gut, rinse and lightly dry with a towel.
- Cut the lemon into two halves and squeeze one into a cup. Pass the garlic through a garlic press into the juice, add salt and seasonings. Mix thoroughly and generously coat the fish with the mixture and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
- Wash and peel carrots, cut into circles, onion into quarter rings, pepper into strips. Heat a frying pan with oil and saute the vegetables. Add salt to the fried foods and cool.
- Cut the tomato and half a lemon into rings.
- At the bottom of the baking dish, place a sheet of foil folded in half, enough to wrap the fish. Grease with oil.
- Make several cuts on one side of the carcass to stuff with onion and tomato. Place the whole side of the workpiece on the baking sheet. Stuff the belly, alternating with tomato and lemon slices. Place sautéed vegetables on top. Insert the remaining lemon and tomatoes into the slits.
- Sprinkle washed and chopped herbs on top of the fish. Wrap the edges of the sheet, covering the carcass, and bake in the oven or on coals for about 30 minutes. Make sure that the heat is not too high.
The benefits of whitefish
The meat of this fish contains substances that lower blood cholesterol levels. It is recommended for consumption by nutritionists. Since it is better tolerated by the gastrointestinal tract of people who have digestive problems.
Beneficial features
For the purpose of prevention, dishes made from whitefish reduce the risk of heart attack, thyroid disease, help metabolism, and remove toxins from the body.
Meat contains healthy vitamins of the PP group, minerals, iodine, nickel, chromium, fluorine and molybdenum.
The nutritional value
100 grams of ready-to-eat product contains only 88 kcal, 5 grams of protein and 2 grams of fat. The product contains absolutely no carbohydrates.
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