Omul (Coregonus autumnalis) is a fish from the order Salmonidae and the whitefish family. First of all, omul is known for its taste and fantastic gastronomic properties. No wonder they consider him king fish, this is truly a delicacy with a very delicious meat. Add here the fact that omul does not live in all water bodies, i.e. is essentially big deficit, and you will understand why this trophy is so highly valued among fishermen and simply fish lovers.
Omul, in general, is not a very large fish, reaching a maximum length of about 60 cm and 3 kg of weight. Its body is narrow, somewhat elongated, and looks like a torpedo. The scales sit tightly on the body. Thanks to this structure of its body, it moves quickly in the water. Omul has a silvery color with a greenish back and a light belly.
Omul is quite omnivorous, because its diet includes zooplankton, benthic invertebrates, and small fish (slingshot, cod, etc.). In the autumn-summer period, the omul fattens in shallow waters in coastal zone, where it eats mysids, gammarus and crustacean plankton.
The omul lives only in the cold North Ural and Siberian rivers and lakes (the Arctic Ocean basin) in clean and cold water saturated with oxygen. Some people believe that this is exclusively Baikal fish, but this is not entirely true. Exist different kinds of this fish, depending on its habitat, the most famous, perhaps, is the Baikal omul (by the way, the omul came to Baikal from Arctic Ocean: once a fish rose so far to spawn that it reached Lake Baikal, but could not roll back). Omul is a migratory fish that walks in the coastal zone northern seas, in lakes, river mouths and going to spawn in Russian rivers at the end of August. Its spawning begins at the end of September and continues throughout October.
The omul breeds every year, starting from the age of seven or eight. It travels quite far to spawn, more than a thousand kilometers, while avoiding shallow water and not approaching the shores. Large individuals dart a large number of caviar, up to approximately 60-70 thousand eggs. During the spawning period it does not feed, but afterwards it does so intensively, i.e. The omul begins to eat. After the eggs are laid, the omul returns to its feeding grounds. In general, in the northern Ural and Siberian rivers there are two “moves” of omul: summer (June-July) and autumn (spawning itself).
Photo by Vitaly Shurukhin
Omul is the closest relative of the whitefish (as reflected in the name of the family to which it belongs). There are even natural crosses of omul with other types of whitefish - muksun and pyzhyan.
Omul is a valuable commercial fish. Its meat is very high in calories and contains a large amount of fat (by the way, sea omul much fattier than river fish), which helps this fish survive in the difficult conditions of Siberian rivers and northern seas. Its meat is tender and quite well absorbed by the human body, while having a positive effect on the functioning of the heart and nervous system. In addition to fatty acids, omul meat is rich in B vitamins and beneficial microelements - chromium, molybdenum, fluorine. Omul is fried, dried, salted, smoked, and canned. It can be used as a dietary food.
IN last years The omul population is declining, especially the Baikal species. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures to protect it.
If most of us are asked where omul lives, the answer will probably be this: in Siberia, in Lake Baikal. And you will undoubtedly be right. It was Lake Baikal, famous throughout the world for its depth and amazing purity of water, that gave us delicious fish called Baikal omul. However, perhaps it will be news to you that Baikal is not the only habitat for omul.
In addition to the Baikal omul, there are other varieties of this fish, which, accordingly, live in other places. Actually, on this basis they are divided into subgroups, although, in essence, they are the same fish. Arctic omul (or Yakut) lives in the Arctic Ocean, and Penzhina generally prefers small lakes associated with the Penzhina River. These subspecies of omul differ in taste because they feed differently.
And yet, let's return to Baikal omul, as the most popular variety of Siberian delicacy. Lake Baikal is far from small, so even within it it is unevenly distributed. Scientists have been studying the distribution of omul throughout Lake Baikal for many years and have come to some conclusions. If the southeastern part of the lake abounds in this fish, then in the northwest there is none at all. There may be several reasons for this phenomenon. Apparently, Baikal omul prefers to stick to the places where they flow into the lake large rivers, because with their flow a lot of silt gets into the waters of Baikal. And in the silt there are tiny crustaceans and insect larvae - favorite treat omul So he prefers to stay close to food. In addition, in this part of the lake the bottom is exactly what fish like - flat and quite shallow. In the upper layers of water heated by the sun, there are a large number of small animals, which are also eaten by fish. The Baikal omul does not like great depths too much, as you probably already understood. Only during winter does it descend into deep places, and even then it regularly rises to the surface to feed, to the delight of fishermen. However, at great depths he also has something to profit from.
In contrast to the southeastern part of Baikal, the northwestern one looks completely different. There are no rivers there, and the bottom drops sharply down immediately to greater depth. Apparently the fish don't like it too much, so it's not surprising that they don't appear there.
Although, by and large, all these theories remain just theories. To say exactly why the Baikal subspecies of omul prefers southeastern part Lake Baikal is not yet possible. All that remains is to make assumptions.
If we talk about the habitats of the Baikal omul more specifically, it prefers the confluence of the Barguzin, Selenga, Chivyrkui and Upper Angara rivers. Apparently, they are the ones who carry with them greatest number stern.
It is especially worth mentioning that part of Baikal, which is called the Small Sea. Here Baikal omul also found in abundance. It was even classified as a separate subspecies or population – the Malomorsky omul. By the way, it is most valued among Siberians, despite its relatively small size. But why the Small Sea attracts omul is still unclear.
The Baikal omul, as well as its other subspecies, has one important feature. Once every few years, the fish migrates upstream the rivers, near the mouth of which it feeds. Of course, the purpose of this migration is spawning. Having started their journey at the end of summer, the fish swim hundreds of kilometers, moving towards their goal. At this time, they are very easy to catch, but fishing for any kind of fish, including omul, is strictly prohibited during spawning. This is done in order to protect the fish from extinction.
After spawning, which occurs late autumn, the fish returns back to recuperate.
The Arctic subspecies of omul behaves almost the same as its Baikal counterpart. He also prefers to stay near the confluence of large rivers. The point here is not only the crustaceans that the fish feed on, but also the fact that near the mouths the water in the ocean is not so salty. The Pechora, Yenisei, Kolyma, Lena and many other Siberian rivers shelter the Arctic brother of the Baikal omul near their mouths, and during spawning the fish rise up their currents. The behavior of the Penzhina omul during spawning is the same, only the spawning site is small rivers (primarily the Penzhina), flowing into small lakes where this fish is found.
By the way, if we talk about Baikal omul and Arctic, today it is believed that their ancestors initially lived in the ocean, and only then moved along the rivers to Lake Baikal. Considering the ability of this fish to move, this scenario is quite likely.
So, Baikal is not the only place where the miracle fish omul lives. It lives in other bodies of water, both smaller ones and such huge ones as the Arctic Ocean. However, even the Arctic subspecies of this fish is found exclusively in the coastal zone of Siberia, so that with a clear conscience it can be called a Siberian delicacy.
Omul (Yakut. Uomul) is a Siberian representative of the salmon family. The fish has very fatty and tasty meat. This species is very popular in fishing, as well as among professional and amateur fishermen.
Description
Omul is a semi-anadromous fish that can live even in brackish water. The body of the omul is elongated, covered with firmly seated scales. Omul has a terminal mouth. Fish correct form, the axis of her body coincides with the middle of her head. Jaws oral cavity They are of equal length, and on the sides of the head there are relatively large eyes.
The omul has an adipose fin. The general color of the body is silver, the color of the back is brownish-green, the belly is light, and the fins and sides are silver. During the period of sexual dimorphism, epithelial tubercles become more pronounced in males.
Individual omul specimens can even reach 47 cm in length and weigh more than 1.5 kg, but usually the omul does not weigh more than 800 g. This fish lives no more than 18 years.
Places and habitat features
In nature, there are Arctic and Baikal omul. The Arctic subspecies lives in Pechora, Yenisei, Lena, Kolyma, Indigirka and Khatanga. Its lifespan can reach 20 years. However, most individuals live for 11 years. Adults grow up to 40 centimeters and gain weight up to 1 kilogram.
On the territory of our country, Arctic omul is found in almost all northern rivers, starting from Mezen and ending with Chaunskaya Bay. It is not found only in the Ob River. This subspecies is also found in the Penzhina River and in the Arctic coast area North America, starting at Cape Barrow and ending at Cornation Bay. The Arctic omul is a semi-anadromous species.
The Baikal omul, as the name suggests, is primarily found in Lake Baikal. Fish refers to separate species. There are 2 hypotheses explaining the origin of omul and its appearance in the waters of this lake. The first hypothesis states that the Baikal omul is endemic, that is, the ancestors of this fish lived here millions of years ago, but in conditions warm climate. This hypothesis is supported by the majority of leading ichthyologists in Russia and researchers of Lake Baikal.
Omul chooses places with clean and cold water to live; it prefers water rich in oxygen. This fish lives in the Arctic Ocean basin, Lake Baikal, and is known in tundra rivers that flow into the Yenisei Bay. The Baikal omul has the following populations: Posolskaya, Selenga, Chivyrkuiskaya, Severobaikalskaya and Barguzinskaya, depending on the spawning sites.
The spawning migration of omul usually begins in the 2-3rd decade of August. As it approaches the spawning grounds, the omul changes its gregarious pattern of movement to moving in small schools. Moving up the river, the omul does not come close to the banks and avoids shallow areas, sticking to the middle of the channel. Basically, the spawning grounds of this fish are located 1.5 thousand kilometers from the mouth of the river.
Puberty in omul occurs at 7-8 years, when its length exceeds 30 cm. It is interesting that males can become sexually mature a year earlier than females; the period of puberty in omul can last for 2-3 years. Reproduction of omul occurs annually.
The spawning time for omul is the end of September - October, when the water temperature does not exceed 4°C and a place with a sand and pebble bottom, at least 2 m deep, is selected. The diameter of omul eggs is 1.6-2.4 mm, the eggs are not sticky, bottom-based. After spawning, the omul migrates to feeding areas. The larvae also do not stay in the spawning grounds, sliding down to the lower reaches of the river. The fertility of omul can be up to 67 thousand eggs, than bigger fish, the more caviar.
During spawning, the omul does not feed, but begins to feed intensively after it. Omul is a fish wide range food, its diet includes zooplankton, benthic invertebrates, juveniles of such fish as the Arctic sea slingshot, polar cod, etc. In the autumn-summer period, the omul fattens in the shallow coastal zone, where it eats mysids, gammarus and crustacean plankton.
After the spawning is over, the omul goes back to the sea.
Meat composition
The calorie content of omul meat ranges from 65 kcal to 92 kcal per 100 g of fish. In addition to fats, proteins and water, omul meat contains vitamin PP, B vitamins, microelements: chromium, zinc, nickel, molybdenum, fluorine and the macroelement chlorine.
Omul is one of the most nutritionally valuable commercial fish. About 20% of the total body weight of omul is fat, this is especially true for the marine subspecies of omul and, despite the fact that fatty foods are not held in high esteem today, this does not apply to fatty omul meat. Since the meat of this fish is highly digestible and nutritional value, the body absorbs omul meat in 1-1.5 hours, almost 95%, while it takes more than 5 hours to digest animal meat by 85%.
Fat in omul meat is also found in abdominal cavity, both in the subcutaneous layer and in the liver, and it is also evenly distributed between the muscles and is even found in the fins.
Omul, especially lightly salted, is rich in essential fatty acids, which reduce blood viscosity, improving the functioning of the heart muscle and nervous system. Omul meat contains more B vitamins than other fish species. These vitamins are very important for the human reproductive and nervous system.
In omul, the mass fraction of bones does not exceed 7%, and this makes it possible to prepare high-quality canned food from it and use it for dietary nutrition.
Lightly salted omul is considered the most healthy and tasty; smoked omul meat is valued for its delicate texture and low salt content. Residents of the places where omul lives dry it, fry it, make pies from this fish and simply bake it without spices with a little salt.
Omul in cooking
Tender and fatty omul meat simply melts in your mouth. The fat content of the meat of this fish allows chefs to prepare a wide variety of dishes from it, because oil can be omitted at all during cooking, which makes omul even more valuable from a dietary point of view. However, you can cook it just like any other fatty fish, that is, boil, fry, bake, smoke, etc. But there are also some dishes that are prepared exclusively from this fish, for example, “zagutai”. To prepare this dish, omul meat must be separated from the skin and bones, it is cut into small pieces and filled with a mixture of vinegar, pepper, salt and vegetable oil (you can take either sunflower or olive oil). If vinegar is not usually used in cooking, you can replace it with lemon juice. This dish can be eaten immediately after cooking, but you can also let it sit for 1-2 hours.
Omul caviar is also a delicacy, high quality and simply very delicious product, which contains a lot of protein and a full range of amino acids.
Contraindications to the use of omul
Fatty fish such as omul are contraindicated when hypersensitivity body to fish and fish products, since in this case it can cause allergic reaction body.
Fish oil is not recommended if there is a large amount of vitamin D and calcium in the blood. This fish is also contraindicated for stones in the biliary and urinary tracts. You should not eat omul if your thyroid function is elevated.
The important commercial importance of omul is difficult to overestimate. It is possible to use omul as an object for reproduction in lakes and reservoirs. And, despite the fact that restrictions have been introduced on catching, for example, Baikal omul, its number in the lake has decreased in recent years and is falling catastrophically, which means that the omul population needs care and protection.
What do we know about omul? Why is it considered a delicacy? main feature This fish is that it is found in a strictly defined area, and, more precisely, in Siberia. More precisely, in Lake Baikal. However, stop! Is omul only found in Lake Baikal? Or can it still be found somewhere else? The answer is yes, you can. Omul found not only in Lake Baikal, but also in other places. But still within Siberia and a little of the Far East. You will no longer find this fish in any other part of the world, although its distant and not too distant relatives (whitefish, for example) are also found in other places with similar climate, although not in such quantities. But let’s return to the omul, or, more precisely, to the habitats of the omul. With a clear conscience, this fish can be called nomadic, since it is capable of traveling enormous distances in search of spawning places. This fish does not sit in one place. However, it spends most of its life in calm water, mainly in Lake Baikal, as well as in some other, smaller lakes, feeding there on the smallest crustaceans and gaining weight. But during the spawning period, it begins its movement upstream of the rivers flowing into Baikal, and reaches quite far. So you can find this fish not only directly in Lake Baikal, but also in most Siberian rivers. True, he only goes there during the spawning period, and during this time fishing is prohibited.
The issues of omul habitat are still being studied by scientists. The thing is that Lake Baikal itself is far from small, and, of course, the fish are distributed unevenly across it. Scientists who studied the habitat of omul determined that this fish can be abundant in some parts of the lake and completely absent in others. Apparently, this is due to the fact that Baikal flows different rivers, carrying with them various silts. Some types of silt attract small crustaceans- omul’s favorite delicacy, but some are not. It is quite logical to assume that omul habitat directly depends on the location of the schools of crustaceans. However, this theory has not yet been proven one hundred percent, although it explains uneven distribution omul on the territory of Lake Baikal.
Be that as it may, the Baikal omul is found in abundance near the southeastern coast of Lake Baikal, but even there the habitats of the omul are unevenly distributed. In those places where fairly large rivers flow into the lake: Barguzin, Upper Angara, Chivyrkui and Selenga, this fish is found in abundance. It is also present in other areas of the southeastern coast of Lake Baikal, but in much smaller quantities. By the way, it may well be that these features omul habitat are associated not only with crustaceans that feed on plankton, which, in turn, is applied with river water, but also with the spawning characteristics of this fish. As we have already said, during spawning the fish rises upstream in rivers (in particular, those mentioned earlier), and after the eggs are swept away, they roll back into the lake. It is quite possible that they simply do not go far from this place, fortunately there is quite enough food there.
If the south-eastern coast of Lake Baikal abounds in omul, then on the opposite, north-western coast there is no such fish at all. What this is connected with cannot yet be explained. Perhaps it’s just the crustaceans, which for some reason are absent in that area. In addition, it may be not only the crustaceans themselves, but also the depth at which they are located. Scientists who studied the habitat of omul found that this fish prefers to stay at relatively shallow depths. But near the northwestern coast of Lake Baikal, the bottom drops sharply down several tens of meters. Accordingly, if there are crustaceans there that are loved by omul, then they are located quite deep, near the bottom. Apparently, the omul simply cannot get there, and therefore prefers to stick to places where it is easier to get food.
But in the part of Baikal called the Small Sea, there is plenty of omul. Some scientists even distinguish it into a separate population, called Malomorskaya - Malomorskaya omul, and Siberians believe that it is those caught in the Malaya Sea omuli the most delicious and fatty. Meanwhile, not only Baikal and the rivers flowing into it are the main habitats of omul. This fish can be found not only in Baikal, but also in a number of smaller lakes, mainly those located in the Penzhina River basin. By the way, the omuls there taste significantly different from those from Baikal. For the worse or better side- Let everyone decide for themselves. By the way, these fish are even classified as a separate population - the Penzhinsky omul. However, it can also be classified as the Baikal omul, since the lakes in which it is found are connected to Baikal by a system of rivers and their tributaries.
However, the habitats of omul are not limited to those listed above. There is another subspecies - Arctic omul. It is not found in Baikal and the lakes associated with it, but in the Arctic Ocean basin. Low water temperatures do not frighten this fish at all. She feeds in coastal waters The Arctic Ocean, in those places where large Siberian rivers flow into it. Perhaps this habitat of omul is due to the fact that in these areas the water is less salty, after all, it is freshwater fish. Or maybe the same crustaceans are to blame for everything. It is possible that both factors affect the fish, or perhaps the final cause is unknown to us. Interestingly, the omul living in the Arctic Ocean can be found only in one part of it, namely, in the coastal zone belonging to Siberia. It is completely incomprehensible why this fish did not migrate to other areas of the Arctic Ocean, because the climate there, if different, is insignificant, and there are confluences of large rivers in other regions. And yet, the Siberian fish, which became so famous in Lately, prefers to stay at the mouths of the Mezen, Pechora, Yenisei, Kolyma, Lena and some others rivers. As in the case of the Baikal omul, its Arctic counterpart most spends time in relatively calm water, hunting for crustaceans and gaining weight. And to spawn, it also goes to large rivers, near the mouths of which it tries to stay. Previously, active fishing for this fish was carried out in these rivers, and only when the population began to be threatened serious danger, fishing during spawning was strictly prohibited.
By the way, among scientists studying omul habitat, there is an opinion that initially the omul (or its predecessors) appeared in the coastal zone of the Arctic Ocean, and only then moved along rivers and tributaries to Baikal. Most likely, the migration process took place quite a long time ago, during the ice age, and then the connection was broken. So today, despite the fact that the two subspecies of omul belong to the same species, they have some differences, and they taste completely different.
To summarize, we can say that the habitats of omul are not limited to Baikal alone. This fish can be found in other lakes, as well as in the Arctic Ocean, but still all these omul habitats belong to Siberian region. So the omul can with a clear conscience be considered a national treasure of Siberia.
The omul fish, a photo and description of which is given in this article, belongs to the whitefish genus, which has more than forty species. Omul, like most whitefish, has excellent taste qualities due to its fatty, high-calorie meat and nearby useful qualities. Usually you can buy smoked omul in stores, since it is in this form that they are most valued by fish lovers.
Depending on its habitat, omul is divided into two main types:
- Baikal;
- arctic.
Arctic is classified as anadromous. It lives in the Arctic Ocean basin and spawns in the rivers of Asia and North America. In Russia, omul can be found in almost all northern rivers. The only exception is the Ob, where it is not found.
The Baikal omul can be found, as you might guess from its name, in Lake Baikal. Sometimes it comes across to fishermen Far East and in some rivers of the tundra. In the lake itself, it can be found only in the southeast, but it does not swim to the northwest.
Appearance and habitat of omul
Omul is a finicky fish. He prefers to live in a cold and clean water saturated with oxygen. It lives mainly in deep places - up to three hundred meters. Can live not only in fresh water, but also lightly salted. Omul has an oblong body, silvery in color with emerald or brown tints. The back is darker, and the belly is light. The scales are small and fit tightly to each other.
The length of the Arctic omul reaches more than thirty centimeters. His sexual maturity occurs in the seventh or eighth years of life. On average, the Arctic omul lives about ten years, which allows it to spawn no more than two or three times.
The Baikal omul grows on average to twenty-eight centimeters. Its ability to spawn occurs earlier than its northern counterpart - at the age of five to six years. At the end of summer and beginning of autumn, adult Arctic omul gather in large schools and go in search of spawning grounds. Sometimes they travel up to one and a half thousand kilometers until they find a suitable place. Omuli from Lake Baikal do not go to such extremes, swimming only short distances deep into the rivers flowing into the lake.
Taste and calorie content of omul fish
Omul is not only very tasty, but also healthy fish. And all this is thanks to the fat in his body, which helps him cope with low temperatures water. Despite the large amount of fat, omul meat has a surprisingly low calorie content - about 80 kcal per 100 g of fish. The whole point is that omul fat consists of polyunsaturated acids. This allows fish to be included in diets for those wishing to lose weight.
Omul, both Arctic and Baikal, is rightfully considered valuable commercial fish. At one time, its uncontrolled catching led to a decrease in the fish population. Moreover, in the sixties of the last century, the Baikal species was even on the verge of complete extinction. Laws and bans on fishing were hastily passed, which helped save the situation, return the population to its previous limits and allow fishing to begin again. However, today the Baikal omul is again in danger of extinction.
What does omul eat?
The favorite food of omul are plankton, amphipods, various larvae, mysids, fry and caviar. In the sea, it prefers crustaceans, gammarus and all kinds of fry. Just before spawning, the omul stops feeding. The fish begins to gain fat after spawning, actively hunting in coastal zones.
The benefits of omul for the human body
The fact that the mass fraction of omul bones is no more than seven percent, it is used to prepare high-quality canned food used in dietary nutrition. The acids contained in fish fat significantly thin the viscous blood and help improve the functioning of the heart and the entire nervous system. In addition, omul meat is rich in vitamin B, necessary for reproductive system of people.
Despite the fact that the Baikal omul is found in the cleanest lake in the world, about ninety percent of all fish are infected with diphyllobothriasis, which can be contracted by lovers of stroganina, prepared from freshly caught and not heat-treated fish. To prevent this from happening, the omul must be gutted and thoroughly salted before consumption in order to destroy all the infection.
Price for omul and its caviar
The cost of omul directly depends on its type: smoked, dried, fresh frozen, fillet. And of course, from the place of sale. So in Irkutsk you can buy fresh frozen omul from 350 rubles per 1 kilogram. Lightly salted omul fillet costs from 200 rubles per 100-120 grams. Smoked omul costs from 800 rubles. Omul straws in retail stores can be purchased from 1600 rubles per 1 kg.
Dried omul can be bought in Irkutsk from 550 rubles per 1 kg - for wholesale purchases, and retail from 650 and above. The price of omul caviar starts from 500 rubles per 1 kg.
In Moscow, fresh frozen omul can be purchased from 1,100 rubles, hot smoked omul - 1,880 rubles/kg, lightly salted omul will cost 1,250 rubles/kg.
How to catch omul
Amateur fishing for omul is allowed all year round, excluding only the spawning period. In open water they catch it, or, and with the onset of frost they switch to.
Among artificial baits, small spinners, various flies, jig baits and others predominate. It performed well with its tiny lures and invisible fishing line. The drill is considered the best live bait among local fishermen. The meat of crustaceans and small live bait is also used.
When fishing at night from a boat, you can use a powerful flashlight, the light of which attracts the attention of plankton, which is a living bait for omul. During bottom fishing, they use gear with a load of 20-40 g and several habits with a natural bait. In winter, you can replace live bait with flies (from 6 to 10 pieces on one tackle), made in different shades of red.
Catching omul on Lake Baikal video
Fishing for omul on Lake Baikal video
Spawning of omul in Bolshoy Chivyrkui video
Omul fishing on Lake Baikal from the first person
What does omul fish look like photo
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