Many cuisines of the world offer tasting dishes from Arctic omul. This is a real delicacy with unique taste characteristics. But to see firsthand what the Arctic omul is, so to speak, in its natural environment, few were lucky.
Scientific Approach: Species Classification
First of all, we give a scientific classification. Omul is a migratory fish, which belongs to the class of ray-finned fish and is part of the Salmonidae order. The family of omul is called Salmonids, and the genus is Sigi.
Fish prefers a near-bottom lifestyle, is omnivorous. Its habitat covers the Arctic Ocean basin and Siberian rivers.
What does “passing fish” mean?
The term "migratory fish" is applied to those species whose life cycle partially extends into the sea, and sometimes in rivers that flow into this sea. As for the species in question, omul spawning resembles in rivers, and feeding in the coastal zone of the Arctic Ocean. This type of migratory fish is called anadromous. If a fish goes into the sea to spawn from a river, then it is called catadromous.
Appearance
Omul fish (photo posted in the article) has an almost regular, elongated body shape. This means that the middle axis passes through the body and the middle of the head. The mouth of the fish is finite, small in size. The upper and lower jaw are of equal length. The eyes are medium sized.
The sides are beautiful silver and the back with a brownish-green tint. Sometimes a thin black stripe is visible on the sides. On the belly, the color is much lighter. Arctic omul is covered with fine dense scales. The fins and tail, as well as the sides, are silver. On the back, a fatty leathery unpaired fin is located, located behind the dorsal. It consists of adipose tissue without fin rays. During spawning, males appear epithelial growths, which allows us to visually distinguish between males and females.
Dimensions
Omul, whose photo allows you to determine the size of an individual, is a fish that can hardly be called large. The average representative has a weight of about 800 g. Occasionally, fishermen come across larger individuals, whose weight can reach 2 kg. The body length of large specimens of Arctic omul is approximately 50-60 cm. The lifespan of this species is from 10 to 18 years.
Varieties
Describing what the Arctic omul is, they usually mean two types:
- Coregonus autumnalis.
- Coregonus autumnalis migratorius.
The second species is called the Baikal omul. This is an endemic fish that lives in freshwater Baikal. From the lake, where omul is found, he goes to spawn in rivers. This happens in the fall season, from September to November.
The Baikal omul is somewhat larger, its average weight reaches more than 1 kg. The largest fish caught by fishermen had a weight of 7 kg. The average omul length is 60-70 cm. A number of hypotheses were voiced about how this species could leak from the ocean to Lake Baikal. Traditionally, this fish was identified as a subspecies of Arctic omul (Coregonus autumnalis migratorius), but later the results of genetic tests isolated it into an independent species - Coregonus migratorius.
Scientific hypotheses
Since the final bullet in the definition of Baikal omul has not yet been set, it will not be superfluous to describe how scientists are trying to explain its appearance in the freshwater lake. The most probable are 2 hypotheses:
- Omul on Lake Baikal is a local form, that is, it is an endemic fish whose ancestors lived in the waters of Lake Baikal for millions of years. In support of this hypothesis, not only scientific facts, but also folklore sources (legends, traditions, songs) are given. And in contrast to the hypothesis, an opinion is put forward that endemics cannot be found in other parts of the planet, and salmon, similar to the Baikal omul, live in many places. In addition, the Arctic omul has very few differences from Baikal.
- The Baikal omul sailed to the lake during the interglacial period from the Arctic Ocean along the Lena River. In support of this hypothesis, there are facts of similarity between the two species.
However, taking into account genetic research, the Baikal omul is somewhat closer to whitefish. This requires the development of new theories about the origin of the species.
Ban on omul fishing in Lake Baikal
To date, the Baikal omul has been threatened. Its becoming less and less. This led to the fact that the question arose of a complete ban on catching fish of this species for 3 years, starting in 2017. A similar measure will save the species and restore it as a natural resource. Poachers who illegally catch tons of fish annually will be prosecuted more severely.
At the same time, buyers will not be affected, since it can be replaced in the markets and store shelves by the Arctic omul caught in the ocean (although these species differ in taste).
It is worth noting that similar measures were already taken in 1969, when the number of Baikal omul was catastrophically reduced. The ban was valid until 1979, after which it was concluded that the number was restored.
What omuli eat
Places where omul is found are cool, rich in oxygen, with clean water. The species lives in schools, feeds on large crustaceans, gobies, fry of other fish. Fish are considered omnivorous. If there is no larger prey, then they easily switch to plankton. During the feeding season, the species eats very intensely to restore vitality. Chooses for this coastal, shallow zones of the bays. The water here is not too salty, rather brackish.
The food of the Baikal omul is zooplankton, amphipods (crustacean species), young animals of other species.
Breeding
In Arctic omul, puberty occurs in 4-8 years. By this time, his body is at least 35 cm. The species rises to spawn to spawn, sometimes passing over 1,000 km. At the spawning transition, the fish does not eat, as a result of which it loses much in weight. Females spawn all eggs in one go. Caviar of omul bottom species. It is not sticky, relatively large in relation to the size of the fish. Eggs in diameter from 1.5 to 2.5 mm. The laid-off caviar does not linger on the place of spawning, it rolls downstream. Observations on the river. Pechora showed that individuals from 4 to 13 years old were present in the spawning herd. For life, the female spawns 2-3 times. Having marked the eggs, the fish rolls down the river with the flow.
Puberty of Baikal omul occurs at the age of 5 years. By this time, its length is at least 28 cm. In the spawning herd, individuals from 4 to 9 years old are present. Baikal omul enters the rivers for breeding in two schools. The first goes in early autumn (September), the second at a temperature of 4 ° C (October-November). For spawning, a site with stony-pebble soil and a fast current is selected. After spawning, omul flows downstream to Baikal.
Economic value
Omul is considered a valuable commercial fish. But his catch is limited. The priority right to catch Arctic omul, for example, in Chukotka, is used by indigenous people. The amount of allowable catch is determined by the regional Commission for regulating the production of anadromous fish species.