A fish similar to a catfish name. The benefits and harms of catfish fish

Catfish belongs to the species sea ​​bass, living in the North, Baltic, Norwegian, Barents Sea.

At first glance, the fish has a terrifying appearance: a flattened body, a flat head with convex big eyes. The catfish reaches one and a half meters in length and weighs up to 30 kilograms.

In Europe it is often called the “sea wolf”. The catfish earned this name due to its protruding jaw with concave sharp thin teeth.

Catfish is not commercial fish and gets caught in the fishermen's net by accident. Its meat has a delicate taste; its skin is often used to make souvenirs, wallets and belts. In coastal countries, fish oil and collagen are produced from fish bones.

Several species of catfish are known, differing in habitat and external signs. There are spotted, striped, eel-like, very rare blue, Far Eastern catfish.

In some countries, its meat is considered a delicacy. More often it is prepared from dietary dishes, smoked, dried and salted. Boiled meat helps remove toxins and waste from the body; its beneficial components help break down fats.

Catfish: calorie content, composition and nutritional value

Catfish meat is very tender, slightly sweet in taste, which is very easy to digest. Fish has virtually no bones.

Nutritional value meat is very high. It has beneficial properties. It contains a complex of vitamins A, D, E, PP, pyroxidine, lysine, glutamic and aspartic acids, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, phosphorus.

Catfish is dietary product, rich in proteins, which in their qualities are several times more useful than animal proteins, since they contain amino acids essential for the human body, which the human body does not produce on its own. Amino acids are required for normal functioning of the muscular system and strengthening the immune system.

Eating meat can be part of the diet for people who are recovering from an unbalanced diet with a complete lack of protein foods. It can be eaten by people at the end of religious fasting, as well as during component therapeutic nutrition for patients with activity impairments digestive system. This is due to the fact that fish meat protein, unlike animal protein, has a slightly different structure, so it is quickly absorbed and digested.

Catfish meat is rich in fats and polyunsaturated acids. This gives it a high calorie content. Fish recommended to eat boiled, steamed or grilled.

Catfish is perfect for therapeutic nutrition for people suffering from hypertension, heart and vascular diseases. Systematic use of this product helps cleanse blood vessels, normalize blood circulation, treat obesity, and also for child nutrition.

It contains virtually no cholesterol, does not affect blood sugar levels, is different high content omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Catfish meat is often used for therapeutic nutrition for diseases of the heart and blood vessels, since it contains a large amount of fatty acids that cleanse blood vessels and help normalize the blood circulation process, and there is practically no cholesterol.

Catfish is low in calories and is perfect for feeding athletes, as it restores the balance of amino acids in the body after strength training.

Fish meat is classified as medium-calorie. The calorie content of catfish is 150 kcal. It is used for catering for weight loss in combination with vegetables However, it is not recommended to completely replace meat with it.

Using fish on fasting days can reduce the amount of calories consumed by 200 - 300 kcal. It's not only useful for weight loss, but also for a healthy diet. Catfish goes well with rice, pearl barley, potatoes, and vegetables. You can use rosemary, nutmeg, cilantro, and lemon as seasonings. Very often fish is cooked with the addition of garlic, onion, cardamom. At separate meals Not recommended for use with cereals.

Only fresh fish should be used to feed your child.

How to choose the right one

In order to prepare tasty and healthy dish, you should choose the right fish. For this it is necessary adhere to some rules:

The benefits of catfish

Catfish meat contains a large amount of polysaturated acids, which help reduce cholesterol and have a positive effect on the functioning of the brain, heart and blood vessels.

Potassium, which is part of the composition, helps remove salts from the body, reduce blood pressure, reducing swelling.

A large amount of vitamins helps strengthen the immune system, improves the general condition of the body, strengthens bones and nerve fibers, affects blood clotting, is good remedy prevention of atherosclerosis.

Not a contraindication Eating catfish for diseases of the liver and gastrointestinal tract.

Catfish in cooking

More than 50 different delicious dishes are prepared from fish:

• for dietary nutrition, fish is steamed with the addition of lemon juice;
• Catfish fillet is perfect for baking, frying, and grilling.
• made from minced meat delicious cutlets. Meat goes well with garlic, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers and seafood.

Some types are different very tender meat that requires some experience in cooking. It tastes like the slightly sweet meat of halibut or cod, which makes it possible to replace them in some recipes.

A specific property of meat is its loose structure, which is the reason that many refuse to cook it. Culinary experts recommend keeping it in a 10% solution for 10-15 minutes to compact the structure. table salt. It is also not recommended to fry fish under a closed lid, otherwise pieces of fish will fall apart in the pan. The fish should be stewed by cutting into large pieces and pre-fry. You can bake catfish in foil or parchment with tomatoes.

Catfish: harm and contraindications

Eating catfish meat is contraindicated if you have allergic reaction for fish protein and seafood, as well as for kidney disease and type 2 diabetes. Fried fish is contraindicated for diseases of the liver and pancreas.

Nutritionists insist on the mandatory inclusion of sea fish in the diet of adults and children. If we consider the benefits and harms of catfish - it belongs to the family - the advisability of its introduction to the menu will become obvious. This type of fish is not so difficult to find in the store; the product tolerates freezing well and does not require heat treatment. Having become the basis of tasty and nutritious dishes, it will be a source of valuable substances necessary to maintain the normal functioning of organs and systems.

In appearance, catfish resembles at the same time conger eel and moray eel. U special type sea ​​bass has an elongated body with a flat head and strong jaws, abundantly supplied with teeth. Length adult can reach 1.5 m, weight – 30 kg. They live in northern seas at a considerable depth, which ensures the ecological purity of their meat.

Catfish usually reaches store shelves frozen or chilled. In order not to worry about its quality, before purchasing you need to pay attention to the following points:

1. The eyes should be clean and bulging, and cloudiness and hollowness are clear signs that the product is not fresh. If the eyes are removed or the head is cut off, it is better not to buy the product (frozen pieces are an exception).
2. The gills may only be red or pink, without mucus or unpleasant odor. Beige and brown shades indicate that the fish is at least a week old.
3. A belly covered with mucus or noticeably increased in volume is a sign of a violation of the catfish storage technique.
4. High-quality carcasses will be slippery and will not stick to your hands. After pressing, the meat quickly returns to its previous appearance.
5. Another sign of the freshness of the product is the smooth, shiny scales that fit tightly to the skin.

If frozen catfish is purchased, the fish must not have been caught more than 2 months ago. After the specified time, it already begins to lose its properties. Such a product will not do any harm, but there will be little benefit from it.

Composition of catfish meat

Catfish meat is considered dietary, despite its high protein content and the presence of fat. If 100 g of fresh product contains only 126 kcal, then boiled product contains even less – 114 kcal. A baked dish contains about 140 kcal, and a fried dish contains almost 210 kcal.

Interesting fact: Catfish is useful not only as a food ingredient. Its thick leather is often used to make belts, wallets and even bags. Collagen obtained from fish bones is actively used in cosmetology. Fish fat has all the properties of a medicinal product.

The benefits and harms of catfish are due to the presence of such substances in its composition:

• Unsaturated fatty acids.
• Essential amino acids.
• Vitamins A, groups B, C, D, E, PP.
• Essential minerals are calcium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus and magnesium.
• Rare elements cobalt, molybdenum, fluorine, chromium, sulfur, manganese, copper, iodine, iron and zinc.

Nutrients and valuable substances in catfish meat are absorbed by the body quickly and to the maximum extent. They are retained in the product in large quantities, regardless of its variant. culinary processing. Even Fried fish It is extremely beneficial for the body, however, it is still better to cook it on the grill rather than in a regular frying pan.

The benefits of catfish for the body

• The introduction of fish into the diet leads to a decrease in blood cholesterol levels. Fatty acids that have this effect also prevent the formation of cholesterol plaques, increase the functionality of brain vessels, and improve the functioning of the heart and blood vessels.
• The mineral composition of the product normalizes salt balance and removes it from tissues excess liquid. This eliminates swelling and prevents the deposition of salts in the spine and joints.
• Vitamins with antioxidant properties strengthen the immune system and reduce the body's susceptibility to negative external factors.
• Complex effects of vitamins D and PP in a positive way affects blood composition and condition blood vessels. This acts as another factor that prevents atherosclerosis and improves heart function.

Catfish is recommended for inclusion in the diet for obesity, hypertension, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, pancreatitis and cholecystitis. In case of exacerbation of the listed conditions, it is better to temporarily remove the product from the menu and return to it during the period of remission. The product is great for athletes. It restores strength after intense training and normalizes metabolic processes that have changed during the session.

Catfish meat is simply very delicious product with a pleasant texture. It is tender but dense, does not contain many bones and easily disintegrates into fibers. You shouldn’t give up eating caviar either. valuable fish. It can be salted or heat-treated for subsequent consumption.

Harm of catfish and contraindications

Catfish has one significant disadvantage - it often causes an allergic reaction. At hypersensitivity to seafood, the risk of intolerance to sea bass is very high.

There are several other conditions in which nutritional and healthy meat will have to refuse:

1. The need to follow a diet with a minimal protein load (kidney disease during an exacerbation).
2. Some medical associations do not recommend introducing the product into the menu of pregnant and lactating women and children under 6 years of age. This is due to the origin of the fish and potentially high level lead in her meat.
3. Fried catfish is considered a source of carcinogens, although this fact has not been proven by science.
4. If the functions of the endocrine glands and pancreas are impaired, the use of catfish should be agreed with the attending physician.

To get the benefits of catfish, you don't need to eat it in large quantities. Abuse of sea fish, on the contrary, can cause unpleasant consequences. It is enough to include small portions of meals 1-2 times a week.

Catfish in dietary and healthy nutrition

High protein content, an abundance of vitamins and minerals, and low calorie content are properties that turn catfish into a dietary product. With its help, you can maintain the body’s vital functions at the usual level, despite a significant reduction in the number of calories.

Thanks to the fish there is no destruction muscle fibers and reducing their volume. During such a diet, weight decreases smoothly, and only due to the loss of the fat layer. A deficiency of minerals and vitamins, as happens with other programs, does not occur.

It is important to understand that you cannot simply try to replace your usual foods with catfish! It is enough to increase the frequency of its inclusion in the diet to 2-3 times a week, which will reduce the daily calorie content of the menu.

Another product can be used during fasting days consisting only of seafood and vegetables. But such approaches should not be carried out more than 2 times a week.

Methods for preparing catfish

Catfish does not go well with porridge; its protein will not be absorbed as well as when combined with a side dish of vegetables. It can be cooked and served with different varieties rice When choosing greens, you should give preference

• Steak in the oven. We wash the steaks, but do not remove the skin, otherwise they will fall apart. We make shallow cuts on the meat on both sides, season with the selected spices, and sprinkle lemon juice. Wrap in foil and bake at average temperature within 35-40 minutes.
• Frying in a pan. To reduce potential harm finished product, you need to take a cast iron frying pan, and a few drops of oil will be enough. Grease the work surface with oil and immediately lay out the pieces of fish, rolled in salt and flour. Fry the preparations until a golden crust appears. If you heat the oil first, there is a high probability that the products will burn.
• Catfish in a slow cooker. Clean the catfish steaks from skin, bones and fins. Place finely chopped onions and carrots and a few sprigs of rosemary on the bottom of the multicooker. Add 0.5 cups and fill it all with vegetable broth. Place pieces of fish on top, add spices and salt, close the lid. Cook in the “Stew” or “Pilaf” mode for at least 40 minutes.

Practice shows that the simpler the additional ingredients accompanying the preparation of sea fish, the tastier the dish turns out. Of course, you can try combining catfish with something unusual, but excellent results are not guaranteed. Delicacy casseroles and soups made from sea bass are quite specific.

Catfish is a family of marine fish of the Anarhichadiae order of perciformes that live in northern waters Atlantic and Pacific oceans, where the water temperature does not rise above 14 degrees. Off the coast North America, from California to Alaska, eel catfish are found; in the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean, the Far Eastern catfish is common; blue catfish (or "widow catfish") can be found in the northern part Atlantic Ocean; Striped catfish are caught in the Barents and White Seas, off the coast of England and Ireland (rarely in the Gulf of Finland).

This fish got its name not by chance - because of its strong, strongly developed jaw with sharp, inwardly curved teeth and protruding fangs, like those of a wolf (by the way, in France, catfish is called “sea wolf”).

The characteristic shape of the jaw and teeth of this fish is the result of the catfish's natural adaptation to its favorite food: sea urchins, bivalves, snails and crabs.

Striped catfish (Anarhichas lupus) lives on a rocky bottom covered with algae and swims very close to the shore during spawning. Spawning occurs from November to February at a depth of 40 to 200 m, at the beginning of the period - at northern regions, and at the end - in the southern ones.

Spotted catfish (Anarhichas minor) lives in Arctic waters.

The fishing grounds for catfish are the Barents Sea and the banks of Northern Norway. Extensive research is currently underway on artificial breeding catfish. Spotted catfish are more common in northern waters.

Handbags, wallets and belts are made from the dense skin of catfish with very small, as if recessed scales.

It is best to cook catfish by steaming or grilling, and if frying, then in batter or after boiling it in very salty water - otherwise the pieces of fish will literally “spread” over the frying pan. Hot or cold smoked catfish is a great appetizer.

Calorie content of catfish

The calorie content of raw Atlantic catfish is 96 kcal per 100 g of product. It is quite nutritious because high content proteins. Boiled catfish contains 114 kcal per 100 g, and baked catfish contains 137 kcal. You should not overuse fried catfish, 100 g of which contains 209 kcal, as this can lead to extra pounds.

Nutritional value per 100 grams:

Useful properties of catfish

Catfish meat is very tasty: tender, slightly sweet, almost boneless and very fatty. It is usually sold without the skin and head. The nutritional value of catfish is very high.

Its meat contains vitamins, B12, PP, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Nicotinic and pantothenic acids and pyridoxine. Catfish contains amino acids - aspartic, glutamic, lysine and many others. Fish meat is much easier to digest and contains essential minerals and trace elements such as sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, sulfur, phosphorus, iodine, iron, copper, manganese, fluorine, as well as cholesterol. Include fish in your menu, you won’t need to buy expensive vitamins, here is a complete composition of everything we need to ensure the vital functions of our bodies.

You can cook catfish with potatoes. To do this, you need to cut the frozen catfish fillet into slices and place it in a frying pan, pre-greased with oil, place a layer of potatoes on top of the fish, cut into two-centimeter cubes, add salt and pepper, place a layer on top onions, cut into cubes, then again a layer of potatoes and again salt and pepper. Spread mayonnaise on top and sprinkle with grated cheese. The dish is baked in the oven at a temperature of two hundred degrees for about half an hour. Fresh ones are perfect as a side dish here.

Catfish is a member of the family of marine fish Anarhichadiae from the order Perciformes. The appearance of the fish is extremely terrifying. Reminds me of eels and moray eels. Most of representatives is very valuable for fishermen. Despite appearance, it is very tasty.

Description of the fish

A common factor among all representatives of this species is a long, large body. And also large front teeth. In addition to the front teeth, these fish also have back and side teeth, with the help of which they crush food. Their jaws are very powerful. Once a year, teeth are replaced with new ones. It is for its terrible protruding teeth that this species got its name.

Adult representatives of the species measure from 1 to 2 meters and can weigh up to 30 kilograms, but on average they weigh about 20 kilograms.

Types of catfish

Among this species there are several representatives of the family:

Lifestyle and nutrition

Having reached mature age, the blue catfish lives mainly on the bottom, in which it finds various shelters for itself, where it hides during the daytime. It is a very aggressive fish: when defending its home, it can attack any fish, even a representative of its own species.

IN early age A representative of this species lives mainly in the open sea. When the warm season comes, she likes to be in shallow water, and with the onset of winter she moves to the bottom.

According to ancient legends, the Far Eastern catfish likes to feed on shipwrecked sailors. But modern researchers have dispelled this myth, although it can indeed safely bite through human flesh. But these fish use their teeth mainly only to tear objects off the bottom. They can also split various shells with them.

They mainly use small inhabitants of the seas as food, such as jellyfish, crayfish, mollusks and other fish. When catfish change their teeth, they switch to softer food, but then return to the old food.

Reproduction

Based on research results, scientists have found that catfish are monogamous, breeding with only one partner throughout their lives. Fish reach sexual maturity at the age of four years, although females reach maturity a little longer than males.

During spawning, the female lays about 30 thousand eggs at a time, which are about 7 millimeters in size. The female lays larvae mainly on the bottom between stones. After spawning, both parents protect their future offspring.

Young catfish are born in early spring and at birth measure up to 20 millimeters in length. After birth, the larvae immediately swim as close to the surface as possible, where they look for food.

As soon as the larvae grow to a size of 6 centimeters, they begin to sink to the bottom and already lead a lifestyle familiar to representatives of their species.

Meaning for humans

Catfish fish is very tasty and, in addition, healthy for people. But catch this fish quite difficult. It is because of this that people often hold competitions in catching it. To catch it, various tricks were invented, for example: they search for catfish using special underwater binoculars between the algae; for fishing they use very strong fishing rods with elongated hooks. Clam shells are used as bait.

The white meat of catfish is the most delicious part of the fish. It is very tender and fatty, has a slightly sweet taste, and most importantly, there is not a single bone in it. Many different recipes have been invented to prepare this fish.

Useful properties of fish

Eating this fish is very useful for people who have disorders thyroid gland, since its meat contains large quantities Omega-3 fatty acids. Doctors also recommend using it for those who have heart problems. Catfish meat helps remove cholesterol from the body and also strengthens muscle tissue human body. IN folk medicine catfish are used during the rehabilitation period. By eating this fish, a person will be able to establish all metabolic processes occurring in the body, as well as normalize the water-salt balance and strengthen bones.

Harmful properties

Eating this fish is contraindicated for people susceptible to various allergies, since catfish is an extremely strong allergen. It is also not recommended to give fish to small children.

Scientists have proven that it is extremely contraindicated for pregnant women to consume catfish meat, as it has a negative effect on the child.

Interesting Facts:

• catfish lifespan is on average twelve years old, but there have been cases when twenty-year-old representatives of this species were encountered.
• the skin of this fish actively used for making shoes, handbags and book bindings.

It is not for nothing that people called these fish catfish - their powerful teeth, and above all the fangs protruding from the mouth, are striking. And if you look, a catfish can remind you: having grabbed the leg of a unwary fisherman, it is capable of biting through the boot, or even reaching the body. All this gave rise to many legends about the very predatory nature of catfish, up to the belief, current in the Middle Ages, that catfish gather in advance at the place where a shipwreck is about to occur in order to feast on rare prey.

Of course, catfish use their fangs not only in defense, but also in attacking other fish, sometimes other catfish. However, this does not happen very often; fangs are usually used for another purpose, namely to tear off mollusks, echinoderms and crustaceans clinging to it from the bottom, the shells and shells of which the catfish crush or tear with tuberculate and conical teeth, sitting on the palate and on the lower jaw behind the fangs. Such work quickly wears out the teeth, but their service life is short: every year, in those months when the waters in the catfish habitats cool, all the old teeth fall out, and new teeth rise from under them on new, still soft bases. At this time, catfish only grab prey that is not protected by a shell, or do not feed at all. After a month and a half, the bases ossify, and at their bases the embryos of teeth appear again, which grow inside the bases that have merged with each other, gradually destroying them until a new change occurs.

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Like other animals with a strong grip, the jaws of catfish are shortened in front. Strongly developed “chewing” muscles protrude in the form of nodules. The round head with fangs protruding from the mouth is a bit reminiscent of a cat's, which is why the British and Germans sometimes call catfish " sea ​​cats" This head shape, unusual for a fish, has long attracted attention, and in the old days the Arkhangelsk Pomors, as well as Icelandic fishermen, loved to decorate their homes by hanging a dried catfish head from the ceiling.

The body of the catfish is quite long; When a catfish swims, strong bends pass through it, similar to the bends of a swimming newt. This purely superficial similarity is reinforced by long unpaired dorsal and anal fins, but the caudal fin is separate from them, it has a rounded or truncated shape, common for fish that do not swim quickly. Pectoral fins large, fan-shaped. There are no pelvic fins, but the distant ancestors of catfish once had them, as can be seen from pelvic bones modern catfish attached to shoulder girdle, like most other fish from the order Perciformes. A decrease or complete loss of the pelvic fins, associated with elongation of the body and an increase in its flexibility, is also observed in many other fish from the suborder blennyformes, to which, in addition to catfishes, belong blennies, eelpout and other small ones sea ​​fish, among which catfish look like giants.

The catfish family contains 5 species, of which three ( striped, spotted and blue) live in the North Atlantic Ocean and two ( Far Eastern and acne) in the northern part of the Pacific.

Striped or common catfish(Anarhichas lupus) is armed with highly developed tuberculate teeth. On the lower jaw they are moved far back, which makes it easier to crush the shells. This is reminiscent of a second-class lever, where shortening the arm is accompanied by an increase in force. The teeth located on the roof of the mouth press on the shell from above; the largest tuberculate teeth sit here in the vomer row, and the latter also extends far back beyond the rows of teeth on the palatine bones. By this characteristic, the striped catfish is especially well distinguished from the spotted and blue catfish. It is slightly smaller than these two species, and has not yet been found with a length of more than 125 meters and a weight of more than 21 kg.

Brown transverse stripes on a gray or brownish-gray background well camouflage the common catfish in algae thickets, where it likes to stay in the summer. It has long been noted that even catfish resting in rock crevices often slowly wriggle in place, which enhances the resemblance of its stripes to algae, vibrated by water currents. At the depths where striped catfish go in winter, yellowish tints appear in its color, and the stripes fade and often become almost completely invisible.

Striped catfish are common in the western part Baltic Sea to the islands of Ryugen and Bornholm, in the North Sea north of 53° N. sh., off the Shetland and Faroe Islands, off the coast of Norway, in the Kola and Motovsky bays, off the northern coasts Kola Peninsula, near Bear Island, off the western shores of Spitsbergen, around Iceland (where it is especially numerous), near Greenland and near Atlantic coast North America from the Labrador Peninsula to Cape Cod. In the Barents Sea it is not found north of the Perseus Rise, the Central Rise and the Novaya Zemlya Bank. Only this species of catfish lives in the White Sea (near the Karelian and rarely Terek coasts), forming a special subspecies here.

Movements are mainly limited to access to the shores and retreat to depths (up to 450 m).

In the southern regions, more often in winter, and in the northern summer, female striped catfish spawn near the shores from 600 to 40 thousand (with a fish length of 30-100 hedgehogs) large, 5-7 mm in diameter, eggs, which are firmly glued together into a spherical clutch that sticks to the bottom. Males may guard the clutch, but only at the very beginning, since the development of embryos lasts a long time, over several months, and they usually hatch in the spring, being very large (17-25 mm). Soon after hatching, the juveniles begin to rise above the bottom, often reaching the surface of the sea. With a length of about 6-7 cm, all fry switch to life at the bottom and are rarely caught in the water column. From feeding on plankton, they switch to feeding on bottom organisms, primarily mollusks and hermit crabs, as well as brittle stars, starfish and sea urchins, crabs, etc. Striped catfish rarely grab fish. Clams are the best bait when fishing with hooks.

Striped catfish used to be speared off the coast (amateurs on the White Sea still do it to this day). Then, like other catfish, they were caught mainly with longlines, and now they are caught mainly by trawl.

Striped catfish meat is tasty both in the ear and fried, as well as smoked and salted. Of course, its taste, like that of other fish, is not always the same, depending on how and what the catfish ate before catching. Recently salted catfish caviar is not much inferior in taste to chum salmon caviar. Scandinavian fishermen consider catfish liver a delicacy. In ancient times, bile was used instead of soap, and Icelanders fed heads, fins and bones to sheep and especially cows, which improved the quality of milk.

Spotted catfish(Anarhichas minor) is in many respects intermediate between the striped and blue catfish.

Its tuberculate teeth are not as developed as those of the striped catfish, and the vomerine row of teeth does not protrude backward beyond the palatine rows.

The spotted catfish is larger than the striped catfish, but must be smaller than the blue catfish; reaches a length of 144 cm and weighs more than 30 kg.

Only the fry of the spotted catfish have clearly visible transverse stripes on their bodies, wide and black. After transitioning to life at the bottom, they break up into separate spots; these spots are well separated from each other, and are grouped into stripes not nearly as clearly as in the striped catfish.

Spotted catfish are usually caught in the same areas as striped catfish, but in the southern regions less often, and in the northern regions, on the contrary, more often. Off the coast of Norway it can be found only north of Bergen; it enters the North Sea very rarely, and does not appear at all in the Baltic Sea. On average, about one spotted catfish is caught off the coast of Iceland for every 20 striped ones. U Atlantic coasts In North America, already near Massachusetts Bay, spotted catfish are very rare; but to the north along the western coast of Greenland it goes much further (to Thule) than the striped catfish (to Disko Bay). It lives, like other species of catfish, mainly on the continental shallows, but it does not fit as close to the shores as the striped catfish and avoids algae thickets, preferring, on average, greater depths (up to 550 m). Like all other catfish, in summer they generally stay at shallower depths than in winter; At the same time, it moves over slightly longer distances than the striped catfish.

Female spotted catfish spawn 12-50 thousand eggs in the summer (with a fish length of 87-120 cm), similar in size to the eggs of striped catfish and also stick together into a clutch. However, these clutches are found further from the shores, at greater depths (over 100 m), than the clutches of striped catfish; the hatched juveniles also stay further from the shores; near the surface of the sea it is less common. The fry transition to life at the bottom at similar sizes, but still at first they rise higher above the bottom than the fry of striped catfish; thus, the transition to life at the bottom does not occur so quickly and abruptly.

The food of the spotted catfish is generally similar to the food of the striped catfish, but includes fewer mollusks, and echinoderms - brittle stars, starfish And sea ​​urchins- noticeably more.

Spotted catfish are caught mainly in the Barents Sea and off Greenland. In terms of meat taste, spotted catfish is not inferior to striped catfish or even superior to it. The skin of the spotted catfish is more often used for all kinds of crafts - uppers for light shoes, handbags, book bindings, etc. This ancient activity (back in the 18th century in Greenland, bags for picking berries were made from catfish skins) is now dying out with a decrease in cost and an increase in the quality of synthetic materials.

Blue catfish(Anarhichas latifrons) is distinguished by the weakest development of tuberculate teeth; The vomerine row of teeth is much shorter than the palatine rows, whereas in all other species of catfish, after their transition to life at the bottom, it is longer than the palatine rows.

There is accurate data on catches of blue catfish in trawls up to 138 cm long and weighing 32 kg, but, according to some information, two-meter blue catfish were also caught on longlines.

The color of the blue catfish is uniformly dark, the spots are dim and indistinct, their grouping into stripes is usually completely invisible.

Blue catfish are caught in the same areas as spotted catfish, but so far only this species has been found off Jan Mayen Island. A dead specimen of blue catfish was found on the shores of Prince Patrick Island, far west of the currently known Atlantic catfish habitat. Prefers greatest depths(up to 936 m) and makes greater movements than all other species of catfish.

In maturing female blue catfish, 23-29 thousand eggs are found (with a fish length of 112-124 cm) with a diameter of 6-7 mm; these eggs are spawned in spring, summer or autumn. No one has yet found a clutch of blue catfish. So far, only 2 fry, 25 and 26 mm long, have been described, caught in May over the mainland break between the Lofoten Islands and Bear Island. Females with mature eggs are usually caught near the dump, and to the east, in the Barents Sea, only immature ones are found; This is where another Pomeranian name for blue catfish comes from - widow.

The transition of juveniles to life at the bottom is very late: blue catfish usually appear in trawl catches only at a length of 60-70 cm.

The blue catfish feeds mainly on ctenophores, jellyfish and fish, and consumes much less echinoderms, crustaceans and especially mollusks than other types of catfish. Her teeth sometimes do not wear out at all, but nevertheless change annually, like other catfish.

The meat of blue catfish is liquid and watery, and therefore, until recently, blue catfish was not prepared, thrown overboard or cut into pieces and used to bait longlines, especially when fishing for halibut. The meat is high in vitamin A, possibly due to rapid growth; in general than more depth, on which Atlantic catfish prefer to stay, the faster they grow: for example, at the age of 7 years, the White Sea catfish reaches an average of 37 cm, the Barents Sea striped 54 cm, the spotted 63 cm and the blue 92 cm.

Far Eastern catfish(Anarhichas orientalis) different from Atlantic catfish a large number vertebrae (86-88) and rays in the anal fin (53-55). The tuberculate teeth are very strong; adult catfish can crush very thick shells. Like all catfish, big fish, at least up to 112 cm in length. In juveniles, dark stripes stretch not across, but along the body; as the fish grows, they break into separate spots, which later become unclear and are lost in the continuous dark background. Far Eastern catfish are occasionally caught off the Asian coast from the island of Hokkaido in the south to east coast Kamchatka in the north, as well as near the Commander, Aleutian and Pribilof Islands; common in Norton Sound, Alaska. It lives in coastal thickets, feeds on mollusks, echinoderms, crustaceans and fish. Large eggs are spawned in summer; Soon after hatching, the fry begin to rise to the very surface of the sea.

Economic importance the Far Eastern catfish does not have; Only in Norton Bay is it specially caught on hooks by local Eskimos. They put catfish skin between the seams of clothes and shoes; When wet, the skin swells, tightens the seams and does not allow water to pass through.

Eel catfish(Anarhichthys ocellatus) is placed in a special genus, and it really differs sharply from other catfish. The body of the eel-shaped catfish is very long; it has more than 200 vertebrae and rays in the dorsal and anal fins, i.e. several times more than in other catfish. However, in terms of the structure of the teeth and the shape of the head, it is similar to the Far Eastern catfish. The length can be up to 2.5 m. The color of juveniles is longitudinally striped; as the fish grows, the stripes are broken into separate spots, which, however, remain bright and clear throughout their lives. It lives off the Pacific coast of North America from San Diego (California) to Kodiak Island (Alaska). It stays close to the coast, feeds on mollusks, echinoderms, crustaceans and fish. Reproduction has not been studied. It has no economic significance.

Animal life: in 6 volumes. - M.: Enlightenment. Edited by professors N.A. Gladkov, A.V. Mikheev. 1970 .