At present, the ichthyofauna of the Far East occupies a leading position in the fishing industry of Russia. This region accounts for more than 60% of state industrial catch. The fish of the Far East has a huge number of species, among which several dozen are of great commercial importance. A special role is played by the extraction of representatives of the salmon family, famous for the excellent quality of meat. In common people this large gourmet "herring" is conventionally called red.
Fish of the Far East: which families are of commercial importance
This is a region washed by the waters of the Pacific. Here are concentrated the world's largest stocks of commercial representatives of salmon and cod fish. The economic catch zone affects the adjacent Pacific seas (Bering, Japan and Okhotsk).
Many salmon species of fish of the Far East are migratory, periodically migrating to rivers and lakes, where their catch is also possible.
The names of the fish of the Far East are primarily associated with salmon, such as chum, trout, salmon and others. And it is not surprising, since these species belong to the fishing elite.
Below are descriptions and photos of fish of the Far East, which are of important commercial importance. The complete list of aquatic organisms in this region is too huge and includes more than 2,000 thousand species. In addition to representatives of the ichthyofauna, this includes invertebrates and mammals (seals, fur seals, and others).
Red fish of the Far East
This term is usually referred to as the sturgeon delicacies. However, in common people it is also applied to some species of salmon living in the Far East. Fish of this group are distinguished by a characteristic color of meat, which can be pink or red-pink. However, not all inhabitants of the depths possess this feature.
Among the fish of the Far East, the name "red" is used in relation to the following species:
- pink salmon;
- chum;
- trout;
- Sim
- red salmon;
- Chinook salmon
- Atlantic salmon (salmon);
- kichuzh;
- char.
Initially, it was used in terms of the quality of meat, not its color, and was applied only to sturgeon. However, later the name was fixed for salmon. In the Far East, fish belonging to this family is a key fishing target.
Pink salmon
Pink salmon (lat. Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) is the most common species of Pacific salmon, classified as the most important commercial fish. Among representatives of a kind this fish has the smallest size (on average 44-49 cm). Some individuals grow to 68 cm.
The characteristic features of pink salmon are:
- small scales;
- the presence of adipose fin;
- short dorsal fin (less than 17 rays);
- changing color (silver at sea, brownish with a black head and white belly during spawning).
Pink salmon is a migratory species and migrates into rivers during the breeding season. Before the first spawning, the body of this fish undergoes significant changes, especially pronounced in males. The juvenile pink salmon look the same and have a silvery low body with a long mouth containing small teeth. In the river, the body is flattened from the sides, and the jaws are significantly lengthened. At the males, a hump forms on the back, which served as the reason for the name of the species, and the mouth becomes like a bird's beak.
Chum
Keta (Latin: Oncorhynchus keta) is a large fish with a large conical head and an elongated body, flattened from the sides. For this species, 2 morphological forms are characteristic:
- summer (has a length of 58 to 80 cm);
- Autumn (sizes reach 72-100 cm).
The body of the chum salmon is covered with large scales, the color of which varies depending on the location. In the sea, the back and fins of the fish are dark blue, and the belly and sides are white with a silver tint. During spawning, the entire upper side of the chum is blackened, and dark crimson stripes appear in some parts of the cover. Throughout the life cycle, changes in body shape in females practically do not occur. Males during spawning undergo a restructuring similar to that of pink salmon, but less pronounced.
Red salmon
Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) is known for its excellent meat flavor. However, in the Far East of Russia, this species is found much less frequently than chum and coho salmon.
Among the people, sockeye salmon is otherwise called red fish for the corresponding color of its body. However, Oncorhynchus nerka acquires a similar appearance only during the spawning period, when it migrates to the rivers. This time is accompanied by the following morphological changes:
- coarsening of the skin, as a result of which individual scales become indistinguishable, and the surface seems smooth;
- color change (the head becomes olive green, and the body becomes bright red);
- the appearance of large teeth;
- a change in the shape of the jaws in males (lengthening and bending in the form of a beak).
Ocean sockeye salmon has an elongated body, having a cylindrical shape in diameter. The dorsal side of these fish is dark gray, and the rest of the integument is colored silver-white. The scales are small, but clearly visible.
A distinctive feature of sockeye salmon from other members of the Oncorhynchus genus is the special color of meat (bright red, not pink).
Chinook salmon
Among salmon fish of the Far East, Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) is the fattest (up to 13.5%). The individuals of this species are quite large (average length - 90 cm, and weight - up to 25 kg). The body of Chinook salmon is very massive, in shape resembles a torpedo.
The color of adult fish is silver to spawn with a dark back covered with transverse stripes. Before breeding, sockeye salmon gets a mating outfit. At the same time, on the back the scales become almost black, and on the sides and belly it acquires a reddish-brown tint. Unlike sockeye salmon, pink salmon and chum salmon, Chinook salmon practically does not undergo changes in body proportions associated with the onset of spawning. In some individuals, the appearance of teeth is possible, and in males - the curvature of the jaws.
Salmon
Atlantic salmon, otherwise called salmon (lat. Salmo salar) is a very valuable commercial fish, the meat of which has a high taste and is considered a delicacy. These are large enough animals with a length of up to 150 cm and a weight of up to 43 kg. Salmon is a passing species and can form freshwater forms, settling in lakes.
The body of this fish is covered with bright silver scales, which on the dorsal side acquires a bluish tint. Above the lateral line, the color is complemented by a few dark spots. The belly is light.
Changes before spawning are expressed in the darkening of the scales and the appearance on the head and sides of red and orange marks. In males, the mating outfit is much more pronounced. In addition to color change, they have a characteristic morphological rearrangement of the jaws (lengthening and hook-like curvature).
Coho salmon
Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) is a very valuable commercial fish of the Far East, however, its population is very small. Since this species is a bottom species, fishing is carried out using trawls and fixed nets. The distribution range of coho salmon includes the territory of the Bering Sea, the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk. A small amount of coho salmon lives in the region of eastern Sakhalin and Hokkaido.
Theragra chalcogramma is a very large fish. Some individuals grow to 108 cm and gain a mass of about 14 kg. However, the average size for this species is much more modest (length 60-80 cm, weight - 3-3.5 kg).
Coho salmon has a silvery body, with a dark back covered with dark spots that also extend to the caudal fin. During the spawning period, the color changes to dark crimson.
Sima
Sima (Oncorhynchus masou) is the oldest representative of Pacific salmon. This large fish can reach a length of 63 cm and weigh about 6 kg. Outwardly, it resembles kichuzh or chinook salmon, however, it has larger dark spots on the body.
During spawning, the sim acquires a very bright color: the scales become olive and are covered with raspberry and red stripes running in the transverse direction.
Char
Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) belongs to the salmon family. This fish has many passing forms and is caught in the Far East in the Magadan and Kamchatka regions.
The char has an elongated body of cylindrical shape with a slight elevation in the middle. Head above and below slightly flattened. A characteristic feature of this fish is the lack of scales. The skin is painted dark gray-brown with amorphous spots. In size, the char is quite large (up to 88 cm in length and up to 16 kg of weight).
Cod
Among the species of fish of the cod family living in the Far East, of the highest commercial importance are:
- pollock (Theragra chalcogramma);
- Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus);
- Far Eastern Navaga (Eleginus gracilis).
Pollock is a large fish with an elongated body, the maximum length of which is 91 cm, and weight - 5 kg. This species prefers the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean, living at a depth of 200-300 meters, but in some cases falling to 700 and below.
The color of pollock is spotty, with the exception of the belly, which has a solid olive green color. Towards the upper side of the body, the scales darken. The characteristic features of Theragra chalcogramma are the presence of three dorsal fins and an antenna on the chin.
Pacific cod is large (length up to 115 cm, weight up to 18 kg). However, in the fishing areas, smaller individuals predominate (50-80 cm). Cod has a long body, tapering to the tail and covered with fine brown scales. Above the lateral line, the color is complemented by a large number of small dark spots.
Navaga is a fairly popular marine fish of the Far East, also known under the local name Wakhnya. This species of cod has a relatively small size (maximum length - 55 cm, average - 30-35). Far Eastern navaga is appreciated for the high gastronomic qualities of meat and its nutritional value. However, its extraction is very difficult.
Flounder
Of the representatives of this family in the Far East, the following are mined:
- 3 types of flounder (white-bellied, yellow-bellied and yellow-bellied);
- Pacific white halibut;
- halibut is black.
White-bellied flounder (Lepidopsetta bilineata ) is a bottom sea fish with a fleshy body 27-43 cm long. The name of the species corresponds to the color of the lower part of the fish. The upper side of the body is brown or sand in color. A characteristic feature of the white-bellied flounder is the special structure of the lateral line, which has an arched bend and a branch directed towards the back.
Yellow-bellied flounder (Pleuronectes quadrituberculatus) is a rather large species, growing in length up to 60 cm. This fish has a wide body, covered with smooth scales. The lower side of the flounder is painted in lemon yellow, which was the reason for the name, and the upper (otherwise left) part of the body is brownish-brown.
Yellowfish flounder (Limanda aspera) is the most common representative of its kind. This species is the basis of large flocks of flatfish in the Far East. Limanda aspera has a wide body up to 47 cm long. The color of the upper side of the fish adapts to the color scheme of the bottom, and the belly is light. The name of the species is due to the corresponding (yellow) color of the fins.
Pacific white-winged halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) is one of the largest representatives of flatfish. The record length of an individual of this species was 470 cm. The fish has an elongated flat body, the eyes are on the right side. Body color is plain gray or dark brown.
Black halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) is much smaller than a white congener (length 120 cm, weight 15 kg). His body has a uniform color, corresponding to the name. The eyes of this fish are located on the right side. A characteristic feature of black halibut is the high fat content of meat (about 10%), which is important in cooking.
Herring
A special place in the fishing industry of the Far East is occupied by Pacific herring (Clupea palasi). The populations of this fish live in the coastal zone of Sakhalin Island. The catch is carried out twice a year:
- in the fall (spawning form);
- in late autumn and winter (fatty herring).
Clupea palasi is a medium-sized fish that grows up to 30-40 cm. However, some migratory individuals can reach a length of up to 75 cm. The body of the herring is flattened from the sides and covered with silver scales of medium or large size. The back of the fish is dark and has a bluish tint. It has only one fin.
Terpugovye
The main Far Eastern representative of this family is the one-feathered southern rasp (Pleurogrammus azonus). This fish lives near the island of Sakhalin and is a very valuable target.
Pleurogrammus azonus has an elongated body, slightly flattened laterally. Its average size is 22-35 cm, and the maximum is 65 cm. Small scales cover the entire body of the fish, except the snout. A characteristic feature of this species is the presence of 5 lateral lines on each side.
The color of the southern one-feather rasp depends on age. In juveniles, it is greenish-blue, and in immature fish it is gray. Fully formed, ready for breeding individuals have a dark brown color with a white belly and brown pattern on the upper side.