FISH FOODS.
FISH.
Fish furnish a very important and useful part of the animal food
of man. Both the fish growing in fresh water and in salt water are
generally edible. Usually the smaller-sized fish are considered more
palatable, but this is not universally the case. The large-sized fish
are apt to be coarse, and have a less desirable flavor than those of
smaller size. The size of the fish usually depends upon the magnitude
of the body of water in which the species grow, the largest being in
the lakes and oceans, the medium-size in rivers, and the smallest in
brooks. Fish are known chiefly by their common names, and these names
are different for the same species of fish in different parts of the
country. For instance, the term trout covers a multitude of species,
and, likewise, under the term sardine a large number of different
species or varieties of fish are considered. There is also a large
number of varieties known as salmon, perch, bass, etc.
In the following table are given the common and the scientific names of
the principal food fishes used in the United States (see Report of U.
S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries, 1888, pages 679-868):
_Acipenseridæ_:
_Acipenser sturio oxyrhynchus_, Sturgeon.
_Catostomidæ_:
_Moxostoma velatum_, Small-mouthed red-horse.
_Clupeidæ_:
_Clupea harengus_, Herring.
_pilchardus_, Sardine.
_vernalis_, Alewife.
_sapidissima_, Shad.
_Salmonidæ_:
_Osmerus mordax_, Smelt.
_Coregonus clupeiformis_, Whitefish.
sp., _tullibee_ or _artedi_, Ciscoe.
_Oncorhynchus chouicha_, California salmon.
_Salmo salar_, Salmon.
subsp. _sebago_, Land-locked salmon.
_Salvelinus namaycush_, Lake trout.
_fontinalis_, Brook trout.
_Esocidæ_:
_Esox lucius_, Pike.
_reticulatus_, Pickerel.
_nobilior_, Muskellunge.
_Anguillidæ_:
_Anguilla rostrata_, Eel.
_Mugilidæ_:
_Mugil albula_, Mullet.
_Scombridæ_:
_Scomber scombrus_, Mackerel.
_Scomberomorus maculatus_, Spanish mackerel.
_Orcynus thynnus_, Tunny.
_Carangidæ_:
_Trachynotus carolinus_, Pompano.
_Pomatomidæ_:
_Pomatomus saltatrix_, Bluefish.
_Stromateidæ_:
_Stromateus triacanthus_, Butter-fish.
_Centrarchidæ_:
_Micropterus salmoides_, Large-mouthed black bass.
_dolomieu_, Small-mouthed black bass.
_Percidæ_:
_Perca fluviatilis_, Yellow perch.
_Stizostedion vitreum_, Wall-eyed pike.
_canadense_, Gray pike.
_Serranidæ_:
_Roccus lineatus_, Striped bass.
_americanus_, White perch.
_Centropristis atrarius_, Sea bass.
_Epinephelus morio_, Red grouper.
_Sparidæ_:
_Lutjanus blackfordi_, Red snapper.
_Stenotomus chrysops_, Porgy.
_Diplodus probatocephalus_, Sheepshead.
_Sciænidæ_:
_Sciæna ocellata_, Red bass.
_Menticirrus saxatilis_, Kingfish.
_Cynoscion regale_, Weakfish.
_Labridæ_:
_Hiatula onitis_, Blackfish.
_Gadidæ_:
_Phycis chuss_, Hake.
_Brosmius brosme_, Cusk.
_Melanogrammus æglefinus_, Haddock.
_Gadus morrhua_, Cod.
_Microgadus tomcod_, Tomcod.
_Pollachius virens_, Pollock.
_Pleuronectidæ_:
_Hippoglossus hippoglossus_, Halibut.
_Platysomatichthys hippoglossoides_, Turbot.
_Paralichthys dentatus_, Flounder.
_Pseudopleuronectes americanus_, Flounder.
_Petromyzontidæ_:
_Petromyzon marinus_, Lamprey eel.
_Raiidæ_:
_Raia_ sp., Skate.
Some of the scientific names in the above list have been modified
by recent research, but it is advisable to present the above
classification for purpose of reference. The variations from these
names will be given in the part of the discussion relating to the food
value of fish, in which the classification of Jordan and Evermann is
followed.
=Edible Portion of Fish.=--As in the case of other animals large parts
of fish as taken from the water are inedible. In the preparation of
fish the head is usually removed, especially if the fish be of any
size, and the entrails rejected. If the fish be scaly, the scales are
also removed. The latter vary very greatly in different specimens
according to species, size, etc. Usually the edible portion of the fish
is larger in quantity than the inedible, though this is not by any
means universally the case. Taking fish of all kinds together it may be
said that from 55 to 60 percent of the total weight is edible. This,
of course, excludes the bones as well as the other portions already
referred to.
=Principal Constituents of the Flesh of Fish.=--In the flesh of cattle,
swine, and other edible animals already mentioned it is seen that the
protein is the principal part of the edible portion. In many kinds
of meat, however, the fat is the principal portion, as in bacon. In
the flesh of fish the albuminoids occupy a more prominent part than
in the flesh of domesticated animals or game. In other words the
proportion of fat, which is one of the principal ingredients of the
flesh of other animals, is less than in the other kinds of flesh. The
protein in the water-free substance often constitutes over 90 percent
of the total matter, and rarely falls below 80 percent. The next most
important constituent of the dry flesh of fish naturally is the fat.
The average content of fat in the dry flesh of fish is under 10,--it
rarely goes above 20 and sometimes falls as low as 2 or 3 percent. The
mineral content of the dry flesh of fish is quite constant. It rarely
falls below 4 or goes above 8 percent; 5 percent may be regarded as a
fair average content of mineral matter. The mineral matter consists
chiefly of phosphate of potash and lime, together with some common
salt. In the analyses made by Atwater, adopted in the following pages,
he grouped together the fish analyzed in proportion to the quantity of
the edible portion or flesh which they contained. Groupings were also
made on account of the dry substance in the flesh and in proportion
to the water and fat which they contained. These tables are of value
showing in a general way the relative food importance of the different
specimens of fish. This classification is given in the following table:
CLASSIFICATION OF FISHES BY PERCENTAGES OF FLESH, CHIEFLY MUSCULAR
TISSUE IN ENTIRE BODY.
------------------------------+---------+----------
| NO. OF |
|SPECIMENS|
KINDS OF FISH. |ANALYZED.| FLESH.
------------------------------+---------+----------
_Containing 60 percent or over| |_Percent._
of flesh._ | |
Spanish mackerel | 1 | 65.4
Salmon | 4 | 64.7
Red snapper | 1 | 60.0
| |
_Containing between 60 and 70 | |
percent of flesh._ | |
Smelt | 2 | 58.1
Pike (pickerel) | 1 | 57.3
Cisco | 1 | 57.3
Butter-fish | 1 | 57.2
Spent salmon | 2 | 56.4
Mackerel | 5 | 55.4
Pompano | 2 | 54.5
Lamprey eel | 1 | 54.2
Herring | 1 | 54.0
Pickerel | 2 | 52.9
Spent land-locked salmon | 2 | 52.7
Turbot | 1 | 52.3
Brook trout | 3 | 51.9
Muskellunge | 1 | 50.8
Alewife | 2 | 50.5
| |
_Containing between 50 and 40 | |
percent of flesh._ | |
Shad | 7 | 49.9
Weakfish | 1 | 48.1
Cod | 2 | 47.5
Whitefish | 1 | 46.5
Small-mouthed black bass | 1 | 46.4
Striped bass | 5 | 45.1
Large-mouthed black bass | 1 | 44.0
Sea bass | 1 | 43.9
Winter flounder | 1 | 43.8
Lake trout, “Mackinaw trout” | 1 | 43.7
Kingfish | 1 | 43.4
Pike perch, “Wall-eyed pike” | 1 | 42.8
Mullet | 1 | 42.1
Tomcod | 1 | 40.1
Porgy | 3 | 40.0
| |
_Containing between 40 and 30 | |
percent of flesh._ | |
Blackfish | 2 | 39.9
White perch | 2 | 37.5
Yellow perch | 1 | 37.3
Pike perch | 1 | 36.8
Red bass | 1 | 36.5
Sheepshead | 1 | 34.0
Common flounder | 1 | 33.2
------------------------------+---------+----------
CLASSIFICATION OF FISHES BY PROPORTIONS OF FAT IN THE FLESH OF
SPECIMENS ANALYZED.
-----------------------------+---------+----------+----------
| NO. OF | |
|SPECIMENS| |
KINDS OF FISH. |ANALYZED.| WATER. | FATS.
-----------------------------+---------+----------+----------
_Containing over 5 percent | |_Percent._|_Percent._
of fats._ | | |
California salmon | 2 | 63.6 | 17.9
Turbot | 1 | 71.4 | 14.4
Salmon | 5 | 63.6 | 13.4
Lamprey eel | 1 | 71.1 | 13.3
Lake trout | 2 | 69.1 | 11.4
Butter-fish | 1 | 70.0 | 11.0
Herring | 1 | 69.0 | 11.0
Shad | 7 | 70.6 | 9.5
Spanish mackerel | 1 | 68.1 | 9.4
Salt-water eel | 2 | 71.6 | 9.1
Pompano | 2 | 72.8 | 7.6
Mackerel | 6 | 73.4 | 7.1
Whitefish | 1 | 69.8 | 6.5
Halibut | 3 | 75.4 | 5.2
Porgy | 3 | 75.0 | 5.1
| | |
_Containing between 5 and | | |
2 percent of fats._ | | |
Alewife | 2 | 74.4 | 4.9
Mullet | 1 | 74.9 | 4.6
White perch | 2 | 75.7 | 4.1
Sheepshead | 2 | 75.6 | 3.7
Spent salmon | 2 | 76.7 | 3.6
Cisco | 1 | 76.2 | 3.5
Spent land-locked salmon | 2 | 78.5 | 3.0
Striped bass | 6 | 77.7 | 2.8
Muskellunge | 1 | 76.3 | 2.5
Small-mouthed black bass | 1 | 74.8 | 2.4
Weakfish | 1 | 79.0 | 2.4
Small-mouthed red-horse | 1 | 78.6 | 2.4
Brook trout | 3 | 77.7 | 2.1
| | |
_Containing less than 2, the | | |
_majority less than 1 percent| | |
of fats._ | | |
Sturgeon | 1 | 78.7 | 1.9
Smelt | 2 | 79.2 | 1.8
Skate | 1 | 82.2 | 1.4
Blackfish | 4 | 79.1 | 1.4
Bluefish | 1 | 78.5 | 1.3
Red snapper | 3 | 78.5 | 1.0
Large-mouthed black bass | 1 | 78.6 | 1.0
Kingfish | 1 | 79.2 | 1.0
Pollock | 1 | 76.0 | 0.8
Yellow perch | 2 | 79.3 | 0.8
Pike perch, gray pike | 1 | 80.9 | 0.8
Hake | 1 | 83.1 | 0.7
Common flounder | 2 | 84.2 | 0.7
Grouper | 2 | 79.4 | 0.6
Pike (pickerel?) | 1 | 79.8 | 0.6
Sea bass | 1 | 79.3 | 0.5
Pike perch, wall-eyed pike | 1 | 79.7 | 0.5
Pickerel | 2 | 79.7 | 0.5
Red bass | 1 | 81.6 | 0.5
Tomcod | 1 | 81.6 | 0.4
Cod | 5 | 82.6 | 0.4
Winter flounder | 1 | 84.4 | 0.4
Haddock | 4 | 81.7 | 0.3
Cusk | 1 | 82.0 | 0.2
-----------------------------+---------+----------+----------
CLASSIFICATION OF FISHES BY PROPORTIONS OF WATER-FREE SUBSTANCE IN THE
FLESH OF SPECIMENS ANALYZED.
---------------------------------+---------+----------
| NO. OF |
|SPECIMENS|WATER-FREE
KINDS OF FISH. |ANALYZED.|SUBSTANCE.
---------------------------------+---------+----------
_Containing over 30 percent of | |_Percent._
water-free substance._ | |
California salmon | 2 | 36.4
Salmon | 5 | 36.4
Spanish mackerel | 1 | 31.9
Herring | 1 | 31.0
Lake trout | 2 | 30.9
Whitefish | 1 | 30.2
| |
_Containing from 30 to 25 percent| |
of water-free substance._ | |
Butter-fish | 1 | 30.0
Shad | 7 | 29.4
Lamprey eel | 1 | 28.9
Turbot | 1 | 28.6
Salt-water eel | 2 | 28.4
Pompano | 2 | 27.2
Mackerel | 6 | 26.6
Alewife | 2 | 25.6
Small-mouthed black bass | 1 | 25.2
Mullet | 1 | 25.1
Porgy | 3 | 25.0
| |
_Containing between 25 and 20_ | |
percent of water-free substance._| |
Halibut | 3 | 24.6
Sheepshead | 2 | 24.5
White perch | 2 | 24.3
Pollock | 1 | 24.0
Cisco | 1 | 23.9
Muskellunge | 1 | 23.7
Spent salmon | 2 | 23.3
Striped bass | 6 | 22.3
Brook trout | 3 | 22.3
Bluefish | 1 | 21.5
Red snapper | 3 | 21.5
Spent land-locked salmon | 2 | 21.5
Small-mouthed red-horse | 1 | 21.4
Large-mouthed black bass | 1 | 21.4
Sturgeon | 1 | 21.3
Weakfish | 1 | 21.0
Blackfish | 4 | 20.9
Smelt | 2 | 20.8
Kingfish | 1 | 20.8
Yellow perch | 2 | 20.8
Sea bass | 1 | 20.7
Grouper | 2 | 20.6
Pickerel | 2 | 20.3
Pike perch, “wall-eyed pike” | 1 | 20.3
Pike (pickerel?) | 1 | 20.2
| |
_Containing between 20 and 15 | |
percent of water-free substance._| |
Pike perch, gray pike | 1 | 19.2
Tomcod | 1 | 18.5
Red bass | 1 | 18.4
Haddock | 4 | 18.3
Cusk | 1 | 18.0
Skate | 1 | 17.9
Cod | 5 | 17.4
Hake | 1 | 16.9
Common flounder | 2 | 15.8
Winter flounder | 1 | 15.7
---------------------------------+---------+----------
In the scientific names of the food fishes described in the following
pages and in the description of their habits, methods of spawning,
geographic distribution, etc., the classification of Jordan and
Evermann[15] has been followed.
[15] “American Food and Game Fishes,” by Jordan and Evermann, 1 vol.,
large 8vo, pp. i to l + 1 to 572. Twelve colored plates and several
hundred full-page plates from photographs from life and text-figures.
Doubleday, Page & Co., New York.
=Alewives.=--A fish belonging to a genus very close to that to which
the herring belongs is known as alewife. The name of the genus is
_Pomolobus_. It is commonly known as a herring. For instance, the
fresh-water skipjack or blue herring,--the tailor herring or hickory
shad,--and the real alewife or branch herring are all common species of
this genus. One specimen of this genus is the fresh-water skipjack or
blue herring (_Pomolobus chrysochloris_) found in the larger streams in
the Mississippi valley and also in Lake Erie and Lake Michigan. It is
strictly a fresh-water fish, but has also been found in salt water on
the Gulf coast. The tailor herring is found along the Atlantic coast
from Cape Cod to Florida. In the Potomac river it is known as tailor
shad or “fresh-water tailor,” and is highly esteemed as a food fish in
Washington and vicinity. Their value is found rather in their coming
earlier than the shad than in their true value, for as soon as the
shad come in great abundance there is no longer any market for the
alewife.
_Composition of Alewife._--
FRESH. DRY.
Water, 74.41 percent
Protein, 19.17 „ 75.87 percent
Fat, 4.92 „ 19.08 „
Ash, 1.47 „ 5.78 „
This fish, it is seen, has very much less oil in it than the true
herring,--in fact, only a little more than one-half as much. It,
however, has a correspondingly larger percentage of protein.
The tailor herring and hickory shad are distributed along the
coast from Cape Cod to Florida. The branch herring (_Pomolobus
pseudoharengus_) is found along the Atlantic coast as far south as
Charleston, entering fresh-water streams to spawn, usually two or three
weeks ahead of the shad. It occurs also in Lake Ontario and in several
of the small lakes in northern New York in which it is land-locked. The
summer herring (_Pomolobus æstivalis_) also occurs along the Atlantic
coast.
=Anchovy.=--The anchovy is a small fish which is eaten more as a relish
in the pickled state than in the fresh state, and is highly prized by
many connoisseurs. Anchovies of various species are found on both the
Atlantic and Pacific coasts,--on the Atlantic coast from Cape Cod to
Brazil and on the western coast from southern California southward.
These fish reach a length of from 2 to 7 inches. The very small ones
are sometimes known as “whitebait.” Those that are pickled and used for
food are usually from 3 to 6 inches in length.
_Composition of Preserved Anchovies._--
Water, 57.8 percent
Protein, 22.3 „
Fat, 2.2 „
Ash (principally salt), 23.7 „
=Black Bass.=--Two species of black bass are well known to the
American fisherman and to the American cuisine. The one is called the
small-mouth black bass (_Micropterus dolomieu_) and the other the
large-mouth black bass (_Micropterus salmoides_). These fishes are
found in the fresh waters of the United States, especially in the
northern portion, almost everywhere. Both species have been propagated
both by the National and State Fish Commissions. Especially have they
been introduced into the northeastern waters where they originally did
not occur, or only in small numbers.
=Bluefish.=--The bluefish (family Pomatomidæ) is one of the valuable
food fishes of our Atlantic coast. It is a voracious, carnivorous fish,
and apparently loves to destroy as well as to eat. It is stated that
the bluefish copies after the style which was once said to be in vogue
in Rome, viz., when its stomach is filled it disgorges it for the
purpose of eating a new ration. The size of the bluefish runs from 3 to
5 pounds, though occasionally very much larger examples are taken. As a
food fish it is said to rank in the estimation of the connoisseur with
pompano and Spanish mackerel. The bluefish is one of the popular fishes
in all the large markets of the Atlantic coast. The flesh has a fine
flavor, but, like the pompano, it does not keep well.
_Composition._--
FRESH. DRY.
Water, 78.46 percent
Protein, 19.02 „ 90.13 percent
Fat, 1.25 „ 5.79 „
Ash, 1.27 „ 5.91 „
A comparison of the flesh of this fish with the pompano shows that it
is particularly a protein food, the fat being even less abundant than
the mineral matter. It, therefore, is not so well balanced a ration
as the flesh of the pompano and other fish in which the fat forms a
considerable portion of the edible matter.
=Carp.=--The carp is a fish used very largely for food purposes, but
it has not the fine flavor and character of most fishes. The carp
cultivated in America is known as the German carp (_Cyprinus carpio_).
The carp belongs to the large family of fishes known as the minnows or
Cyprinidæ. This family is a large one, having about 200 genera and more
than 1000 species, all of which are inhabitants of fresh water in North
America and Eurasia. None of this family is highly regarded as food in
the sense of flavor and aroma, except, perhaps, some of the smaller
species. The nutritive value of the carp, however, is probably as great
as that of any, but it is coarser and less attractive to the taste.
Some of the most common species of this family are the dace, fallfish,
river chub, creek chub, squaw-fish, and roach.
=Catfish.=--Catfish, of which there are many species, belong to the
family of Siluridæ, and are among the most common fresh-water fishes
found in the United States. They occur in small as well as large
fresh-water streams and lakes, and it is one of the species which
the American boy most delights in catching with hook and line. The
catfish is most conveniently taken after night, and the smouldering
fire and small boy on the bank of a stream is a frequent picture of
American country life. There are more than 100 genera of the catfish
family and about 1000 species. Only about one-third of the species
inhabit salt water. The North American fresh-water species are confined
particularly to the Atlantic coast, the Mississippi valley, and the
Gulf states. There are no native species of the catfish in the fresh
waters of the Pacific coast. The blue catfish, known as the Mississippi
catfish, is the most prominent species (_Ictalurus furcatus_). It is
found particularly in the Mississippi river and its large tributaries.
Sometimes it grows to an immense size, individuals having been found
reaching 150 pounds in weight. If the stream in which the catfish
lives runs north and south it will be found in the southern part of
the stream in the winter and in the northern part in summer. This fish
is highly prized for edible purposes. In the small streams the catfish
is correspondingly small and weighs from less than one pound to two or
three pounds only. The small catfish, especially in the small streams
tributary to the Ohio and Mississippi, has edible properties which are
far superior to the large catfish growing in the rivers themselves.
The catfish of the small streams and lakes are commonly known as
bullheads, since the head is large and wide. The name of the most
common or best known species is _Ameirus nebulosus_. This species is
found from Maine westward and southward. In Pennsylvania it is known as
the Schuylkill cat, and everywhere generally throughout the country as
a small catfish.
=Codfish.=--One of the most famous food fish of the American waters
is the codfish. It is a widely distributed fish. There are said to be
about 25 genera and 140 species. The codfish is particularly a fish of
the northern waters. Only one genus is found in fresh-water lakes and
streams.
=The Common Cod.=--The common codfish (family Gadidæ) is the species
_Gadus callarias_. It is rarely found south of the Virginia coast,
but is especially abundant off the New England and Newfoundland
coast. The great center of the codfish industry is in the vicinity
of Newfoundland. Gloucester, Massachusetts, is the principal town
devoted to the codfish industry in the United States. The cod is an
omnivorous fish and especially fond of crustaceans, mollusks, and small
fish. It also eats vegetation, and it is stated by Jordan and Evermann
that all sorts of things have been found in cod stomachs, such as oil
cans, finger rings, rubber dolls, rocks, pieces of clothing, etc. The
livers of the cod, especially those of Norwegian origin, are extremely
valuable, being the source of cod liver oil, which is considered by
many to be the most valuable medicinal food known. Cod liver oil, while
not palatable, is highly nutritious. The cod livers contain, according
to some authorities, over 60 distinct chemical substances, many of
which are highly important for their medicinal qualities. The cod move
in schools, but not in such dense bodies as the mackerel, herring, and
menhaden. Their movements are largely controlled by the temperature of
the water and their desire for food. This species probably does not
reach a greater length than 3 feet and a weight of more than 25 pounds.
The average weight of the large-size cod in New England waters is about
15 pounds and on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland 20 pounds. The average
weight of the small-size cod in these waters is about 12 pounds. It is
one of the most prolific of fishes. The ovaries of a 21-pound cod were
found to contain 2,700,000 eggs and of a 75-pound cod 9,100,000 eggs.
The eggs are very small and require about 337,000 to make a quart.
The cod is one of the most valuable of all fishes from a commercial
point of view and also on account of international relations. On some
occasions this country has apparently been on the verge of war with
Great Britain respecting questions relating to the fisheries on the
banks of Newfoundland. The U. S. Bureau of Fisheries has probably done
more to propagate the cod than any other variety of fish. More than
five hundred million cod fry have been liberated at different times by
the Bureau and the number in one year has approximated 100,000,000. The
color of the common cod is green or brown, but is subject to very great
variations,--sometimes it is yellow or red and a variety of tints are
assumed.
_Composition._--
FRESH. DRY.
Water, 82.64 percent
Protein, 15.77 „ 95.13 percent
Fat, .36 „ 2.07 „
Ash, 1.23 „ 7.08 „
These data show that the flesh of cod fish is perhaps the most
exclusively nitrogenous of any of the more abundant food fish. The
quantity of fat contained therein is less than ¹⁄₄₀ of the total
weight. The flesh of the fresh cod is more largely composed of water
than that of the ordinary fish, containing approximately 83 percent of
that substance. The flesh of the cod itself is an unbalanced ration,
and needs to be eaten with butter and potatoes in order to make a
complete ration. The hake, which is sometimes substituted for the cod
without the knowledge of the purchaser, has very much the same chemical
constituents, containing--
FRESH. DRY.
Water, 83.11 percent
Protein, 15.24 „ 91.00 percent
Fat, .67 „ 3.97 „
Ash, .96 „ 5.77 „
It is seen that there is very little difference in the chemical
composition of these two fishes. This, however, does not justify the
substitution of the hake for the cod, inasmuch as the hake is inferior
in palatability to the cod.
=Salted and Dried Cod.=--In the United States the cod is particularly
devoted to the use of curing and salting, and in this cured state is
even more highly valued, especially for the making of codfish balls,
than it is in its fresh state. The old-fashioned method of salting and
smoking produced a flesh of very high flavor, yielding under proper
treatment in the kitchen a most delicious base for the fish ball. Under
the modern system of quick curing, the salting and smoking have largely
disappeared and the fish are cured in brine, and with the help of borax
a product is produced which is less palatable than the old-fashioned
cured fish.
_Composition of dry Salted and Dried Cod._--
Protein, 45.65 percent
Fat, .53 „
Salt, 53.82 „
These data show that more than half of the weight in the water-free
state is composed of salt. The codfish is also put up as boned fish in
which nothing but the flesh is found, as desiccated cod, as shredded
codfish and in various other forms.
_Average Composition of Codfish Balls._--
Water, 65.43 percent
Solids, 34.57 „
Nitrogen, 1.05 „
Phosphoric acid, .25 „
Sulfur, .10 „
Fat, 7.84 „
Ash, 4.05 „
Protein, 6.58 „
The difference between the composition of the fish balls and the
average composition of fish is clearly brought out by the data
recorded. In the average composition of fish the sum of the fat, ash,
and protein is greater than the solids obtained by difference by 0.36
percent. In the codfish balls the sum of the ingredients mentioned is
less than the solids by difference by 16.10 per cent. This is due to
the added potato, salt, etc.
_Average Composition of Shredded Codfish._--
Water, 46.52 percent
Ash (chiefly salt), 22.81 „
Fat, .33 „
Protein, 30.85 „
=Eels.=--The common eel is a fish which is extremely long in proportion
to its size and gives the general appearance, to the uninitiated, of
a snake. The resemblance of the eel to a snake in shape is probably
one of the reasons why it is not more highly valued as a food. The
eels, perhaps, are not to be considered as true fish. The common eel
(_Anguilla chrysypa_) is widely distributed throughout most parts of
the United States, especially the eastern part. It extends southward
as far as the West Indies, and is found in more or less abundance on
the Gulf coast. Although a salt-water fish, it differs from most other
eels in its penchant for ascending fresh-water streams. It often goes
to the very headwaters, especially in the rivers of the Atlantic coast
and Mississippi valley. Eels are often found in lakes which seem to
have had no communication with the sea, which shows that they are
able to surmount barriers which seem impossible to cross. Jordan and
Evermann claim that the eel is really a fresh-water fish and that its
real home is in the fresh-water rivers and lakes, and that it runs
down to salt water only at spawning time, thus showing a quality or
characteristic exactly opposite to that of the salmon and shad, which
are true salt-water fish and come into fresh waters for spawning. Eels,
like the carp, are more or less scavengers, feeding upon all manner of
refuse, especially dead fish. They are very destructive of other fish,
especially of young shad and herring. When nets are placed for shad and
herring and the fish are caught therein the eels often invade the net,
and when it is drawn it is filled largely with the skeletons of the
fish, the flesh of which has been removed by the eels. Eels have a high
value as food fish, both on account of their nutritive value and their
flavor. The average length of the eel is from 2 to 3 feet, though much
larger examples are sometimes found.
_Composition of the Eel._--
FRESH. DRY.
Water, 71.60 percent
Protein, 18.28 „ 65.25 percent
Fat, 9.11 „ 31.92 „
Ash, 1.01 „ 3.60 „
These data show that the eel is rather richer in fat than the majority
of fish, although there are some that exceed it in this constituent.
=Conger Eel.=--The conger eel belongs to the family Leptocephalidæ. It
inhabits salt water only, is scaleless, and grows to much larger sizes
than the common eel, sometimes as long as 7 or 8 feet. It is not used
for food in the United States, but is to some extent in Europe and the
West Indies. On the east coast of the United States they do not occur
very frequently. Only a few species are known, and these are of small
extent and have little food value.
=Summer Flounder.=--This fish (_Paralichthys dentatus_) is quite
abundant on the Atlantic coast, frequenting the coast from Cape Cod to
the Carolinas. It reaches a length of from 2 to 3 feet and has a weight
of about 15 pounds. It is caught very extensively off the New England
coast. The principal fishing grounds are in the region of Block Island,
Marthas Vineyard, and the eastern end of Long Island. There is another
species known as the southern flounder (_Paralichthys lethostigmus_),
which flourishes from Charleston southward, and is found along the
entire Gulf coast. There is also another species on the Gulf coast
called the Gulf flounder (_Paralichthys albiguttus_). There is also a
wide flounder or common flatfish (_Paralichthys americanus_). It is
found on the coast of Labrador and extends down to the Carolinas. It
is especially abundant along the coast of southern New England. It is
a small species, rarely being over 20 inches in length, the average
length being from 12 to 15 inches, and weighs from 2 to 3 pounds. This
species of flounder has been extensively propagated by the U. S. Bureau
of Fisheries, as many as 100,000,000 fry having been planted in one
season.
_Composition of Summer Flounder._--
FRESH. DRY.
Water, 84.21 percent
Protein, 13.82 „ 89.03 percent
Fat, .69 „ 4.46 „
Ash, 1.28 „ 8.15 „
The flesh of this fish is particularly rich in water and poor in fat.
=Graylings.=--The graylings belong to a family very closely resembling
the Salmonidæ. They occur chiefly in northern or Arctic waters. One
species found in Michigan is known as the Michigan grayling. It is a
fish that is not only distinguished on account of its food value but
also on account of its graceful shape and pleasing appearance. Another
species occurs in Montana, and has been distributed very largely by the
Bureau of Fisheries. It is not a fish which is of any great economic
importance.
=The Haddock.=--This is a fish very nearly related to the cod, but it
has a smaller mouth and differs in other essentials, particularly in
its chemical constituents, from the cod. The haddock has a food value
which is probably not inferior to that of the cod. It is one of our
most abundant fishes, and by some consumers the flesh is preferred
to that of the cod. The usual weight of the haddock is about 3 or
4 pounds. It is, therefore, a much smaller fish than the cod. The
species is _Melanogrammus æglefinus_. On the Atlantic coast it does not
occur north of the Straits of Belle Isle. The haddock is particularly
abundant on the Massachusetts coast in summer. Like the cod, the
haddock is well suited for salting, smoking, and curing in various
ways. It, however, has not been used to such an extent as the cod for
those purposes, finding a more ready market in the fresh state.
_Composition._--
Water, 81.69 percent
Protein, 16.83 „
Fat, .25 „
Ash, 1.23 „
In the dry substance.
Protein, 93.89 percent
Fat, 1.34 „
Ash, 6.76 „
The flesh of the haddock, it is seen, is even more exclusively
nitrogenous than that of the cod. The two species resemble each other
very closely in composition.
=The Hake.=--There are several species of hakes, family Merluccidæ. The
common European hake is the species _Merluccius merluccius_. The hake
which is found mostly in American waters is _Merluccius productus_,
and occurs very abundantly on the Pacific coast and is largely eaten
as food. The flesh, however, is rather coarse and not very palatable.
Another species which is found on our Atlantic coast from New England
northward is _Merluccius bilinearis_.
=Halibut.=--The halibut (_Hippoglossus hippoglossus_) is a fish which
is highly esteemed and occurs in great quantities. It is a fish which
frequents northern waters, and especially the North Atlantic on the
American coast. It has not been taken south of Montauk Point, but
extends as far north as the coast of Greenland, and is also found
about Iceland and Spitzbergen in a latitude of 80 degrees. It does not
like water above 45 degrees F., and is often found in water at the
freezing point, namely, 32 degrees. The halibut is also found on the
Pacific coast, especially off Oregon and Washington and in British
Columbia and Alaska. It is one of the largest of food fish. The fish
weighing about 80 pounds are considered the best for food, although
the halibut sometimes reaches a weight of over 500 pounds. The male is
always smaller than the female and less palatable. The annual value
of the halibut fisheries on the North Atlantic coast is probably ³⁄₄
million dollars. It is probably slightly more than this on the Pacific
coast,--in fact the Pacific coast fisheries have grown so extensively
that halibut is shipped eastward across the continent. Vast freight
trains known as the “Halibut Express” have been sent across the
continent from Vancouver to Boston, making the trip in six or seven
days.
_Composition._--
FRESH. DRY.
Water, 75.42 percent
Protein, 18.35 „ 77.18 percent
Fat, 5.17 „ 19.32 „
Ash, 1.06 „ 4.39 „
The halibut is a fish containing considerable quantities of fat, and
is not so peculiarly nitrogenous in its character as the cod or the
haddock. It, therefore, makes a better balanced ration than either of
the other fish. The halibut in the fresh state is esteemed fully as
highly as the cod, and the halibut steak is a very common part of the
fish sold upon the market.
=Herring.=--The herrings form a very important group of fishes
belonging to the family Clupeidæ. There are about 30 genera in the
family and 150 species. The herrings are essentially salt-water
fishes and are usually found in large schools. Many species, and some
of these the most valuable for food, ascend fresh-water streams for
spawning. Certain species, for instance, are caught at the same season
as the shad in the Chesapeake and Susquehanna. There are a few species
which remain permanently in fresh water. The common herring (_Clupea
harengus_) is one of the most important of the food fishes of the
whole Atlantic coast, and really over almost all the north Atlantic,
throughout which it is generally distributed. The principal herring
fisheries are in the North Sea, in Denmark and Norway. Important
fisheries are also found off the coast of Great Britain, Belgium,
France, and the United States. It is estimated that as many as three
billion herring may be found in a shoal covering a dozen square miles.
Herring shoals of much larger extent are on record. The herring do not
frequent southern waters, but are found in the cool and more northern
waters of the Atlantic. On the coast of the United States it has been
found as far south as Cape Hatteras, though it does not occur very
abundantly further south than New England. The fish at the period of
spawning are considered the most valuable for food purposes.
The herring is either sold in a fresh state or it may be smoked,
salted, or pickled, and in this condition is very extensively used
as food. A species of herring is found on the Pacific coast known as
California herring (_Clupea pallasii_). It does not differ very greatly
in its general aspect from its relation on the Atlantic coast. This
species occurs very abundantly in the region of Puget Sound, especially
in summer time, and in southeast Alaska. They are extremely abundant
in San Francisco markets in the spring time, so much so that it is
difficult to find a sale for them.
The California herring are more highly valued and bring the highest
price in the early winter, when they are the fattest.
_Composition of Herring._--
FRESH. DRY.
Water, 69.03 percent
Protein, 18.46 „ 61.69 percent
Fat, 11.01 „ 35.55 „
Ash, 1.50 „ 4.83 „
The above data show that the flesh of herring is particularly rich
in fat. In fact the herring is sometimes used as a source of oil. In
southeast Alaska are extensive oil and guano works which utilize the
herring for these purposes.
=Horse Mackerel.=--Another species belonging to the mackerel family
is the horse mackerel or tuna (_Thunnus thynnus_), which is found in
considerable abundance on our North Atlantic coast and on the coast
of southern California. Its common name is “tuna,” “tunny,” “horse
mackerel,” or “great albacore.” The horse mackerel is a fish of very
great size and is the very largest of the whole mackerel family. They
occasionally attain a length of 10 feet or more and a weight of 1500
pounds. The average dimensions, of course, are very much less than
this. The horse mackerel does not grow so large in Europe or upon the
Pacific coast. In these regions a horse mackerel weighing 500 pounds
is considered of an extraordinary size. The very large ones are never
taken with hook and line, but there are records of fish of over 200
pounds that have been captured in this way.
=The Hogfish.=--The hogfish of the West Indies and our southern
coasts is another of the wrasse-fishes whose scientific name is
_Lachnolaimus maximus_. It is called in Porto Rico “el capitan.” It
often reaches a weight of 20 pounds and a length of from 2 to 3 feet.
The name “hogfish” doubtless is derived from the shape of the head,
which resembles somewhat that of the hog. It is valued as a food fish
throughout the West Indies.
=Lake Herring.=--The so-called lake herring is very closely related to
the whitefish. The name of the species is _Argyrosomus artedi_. The
lake herring has a large number of common names, of which the most
widely applied is the term “Cisco.” The terms blueback, greenback, and
grayback are also applied to these herring. The habitat of this fish
is that of the whole region of the Great Lakes and north to Hudson
Bay. It has much the same habitat as the whitefish. The average weight
of the lake herring is about one pound. The subspecies (_Argyrosomus
artedi sisco_) is found in Lake Tippecanoe and other small lakes in
Wisconsin and northern Indiana.
_Composition of Cisco._--
FRESH. DRY.
Water, 76.15 percent
Protein, 19.12 „ 80.75 percent
Fat, 3.48 „ 14.59 „
Ash, 1.25 „ 5.25 „
=Mackerel.=--The mackerel is a food fish which is very commonly used
in a cured state in the interior of the country and is eaten fresh on
the sea coast. Its habitat is principally the North Atlantic ocean. On
the coast of the United States it is found from Cape Hatteras north to
the Strait of Belle Isle. In Europe it is found from Norway southward
to the Mediterranean and Adriatic. The mackerel on the Atlantic coast
usually appear first in the spring near Cape Hatteras and following the
custom of the shad are found later farther north in the New England
states and also in the British possessions. They leave the coast in the
inverse order in the autumn, disappearing first in the northern regions
and later in the southern portion.
The mackerel is one of the most abundant of fishes in the Atlantic
Ocean, traveling in immense schools. There is record of a school which
was seen in 1848 which was at least half a mile wide and 20 miles long.
In some seasons the mackerel is extremely abundant and in others very
scarce. The average catch is probably about 300,000 barrels. Boston
and Gloucester are centers of the mackerel fishing industry. It is
estimated that from 150 to 300 vessels of American bottoms are engaged
in the mackerel industry. The U. S. Bureau of Fisheries has been
particularly interested in the propagation of mackerel, but the result
has not been as satisfactory as in the case of many other fishes. The
young mackerel or small fishes are known as “spikes,” “blinkers,” and
“tinkers.” When they are about two years old they measure from 5 to
9 inches in length. The mackerel attains its full size at about the
fourth year. The scientific name of the common mackerel is _Scomber
scombrus_ Linnæus.
_Composition of Mackerel._--Edible portion:
FRESH. DRY.
Water, 73.37 percent
Protein, 18.26 „ 71.71 percent
Fat, 7.09 „ 24.88 „
Ash, 1.28 „ 4.78 „
The above data show that the flesh of the mackerel is composed of about
two-thirds protein and one-third fat and ash.
Pickled mackerel, salted mackerel, and smoked mackerel are perhaps as
highly valued for food purposes as the fresh fish itself.
=Menhaden.=--The menhaden is not used chiefly as a food fish but to
some extent therefor. It is one of the most abundant fishes taken upon
our Atlantic coast and is used almost exclusively as a source of oil,
the residue being dried and ground for fertilizing purposes. In this
sense it has great value because of the high nitrogen content of the
residue and also of the considerable quantity of phosphoric acid which
is contained therein.
The menhaden is known scientifically as _Brevoortia tyrannus_. Up to
1880 immense quantities of menhaden were taken off the Atlantic coast.
Since that time the supply has not been considered so great. In the
year 1877 it is stated by Jordan and Evermann that one oil company took
20 million fish and in one town alone, namely Booth Bay, 50 million
fish were caught.
The fecundity of the menhaden is very great, exceeding that of the
shad. More than 140,000 eggs have been taken from a single fish. The
menhaden are not eaten very extensively in a fresh state as food but
preserved in salt they have a considerable value for that purpose.
An extract has also been made from the flesh of the menhaden on the
same principle of manufacture as is utilized in preparation of meat
extracts. The menhaden is known under a great number of common names,
some thirty of which have been enumerated by Dr. Goode.
_Composition of Menhaden._--
Water, 77.15 percent
Fat, 3.91 „
Protein by difference, 18.94 „
The water-free flesh contains (including bones) 21.7 percent of mineral
matter.
_Composition of the Mineral Matter._--
Lime, 8.67 percent
Phosphoric acid, 7.78 „
Silicic acid, 1.33 „
Potash, 1.54 „
Soda, 1.02 „
Magnesia, 0.67 „
Chlorin, 0.69 „
-----
Total, 21.70 „
=Mullet.=--The mullet belongs to the Mugilidæ, an important family of
fishes in which there are several genera and species. The mullet is
not particular about its food but is in the habit of swallowing large
quantities of mud, or rather partially swallowing it and separating the
refuse and most obnoxious particles by means of the gills. The common
mullet or striped mullet (_Mugil cephalus_) is a widely distributed
species. This fish is common along the Atlantic coast and in Hawaii,
usually traveling in large schools, and is most abundant in the
shallow waters of the coast. It sometimes reaches a length of two feet
and is an important food fish. The mullet is very abundant on the
Florida coasts. While the mullet may be regarded as a scavenger, living
principally on mud, it does not eat any other species of fish, but is
itself eaten by nearly all fishes that can gain access to it.
_Composition of the Mullet._--
FRESH. DRY.
Water, 74.87 percent
Protein, 19.32 „ 77.50 percent
Fat, 4.64 „ 18.45 „
Ash, 1.17 „ 4.66 „
=Muskallunge.=--A very noted member of this family is the muskallunge
(_Esox masquinongy_). It is a native of the Great Lakes and is
especially found in the upper St. Lawrence. It is not a very abundant
fish, but is highly prized from the angler’s point of view. It is of
very great size, having been found as long as 8 feet and weighing
over 100 pounds. Two other species of muskallunge are known, one
(_Esox ohiensis_ or the Chautauqua muskallunge) in the Ohio river
basin, particularly in Lake Chautauqua, where it has been artificially
propagated with great success, and the unspotted muskallunge (_Esox
immaculatus_), which occurs sparingly in certain small lakes of
northern Wisconsin and Minnesota.
_Composition of the Muskallunge._--
FRESH. DRY.
Water, 76.26 percent
Protein, 19.63 „ 84.87 percent
Fat, 2.54 „ 10.70 „
Ash, 1.57 „ 6.63 „
The flesh of the muskallunge, as is seen, contains about four times as
much fat as that of the pickerel, and forms a ration which is not so
unbalanced as that of the pickerel itself.
=Pickerel or Pike.=--One species (_Esox reticulatus_) is of common
occurrence along the Atlantic coast and also in the fresh-water streams
of the southern interior portions of the country. The pike of the Great
Lakes belongs to the species _Esox lucius_ Linnæus. It is found in the
fresh waters of North America, Europe, and Asia, but is not found on
the Pacific coast except in Alaska. It reaches in some cases a large
size, having been found as much as 4 feet in length and weighing 40 to
50 pounds. The Kankakee in northern Indiana is a well-known fishing
ground for this species of pike.
_Composition of Pickerel._--Edible portion:
FRESH. DRY.
Water, 79.68 percent
Protein, 18.64 „ 92.15 percent
Fat, .50 „ 2.48 „
Ash, 1.18 „ 5.80 „
The flesh of the pickerel, as is seen, is almost a pure type of
protein. The fat falls to an insignificant quantity, being only about
half as much as the ash.
=Wall-eyed Pike.=--The wall-eyed pike or pike perch (_Stizostedion
vitreum_) is a fish most abundant in Lake Champlain, the Great Lakes,
and in eastern Canadian lakes; it occurs also in certain small lakes
and streams in the upper Mississippi valley. In some localities it is
known as the salmon or jack salmon, but of course these are misnomers.
_Composition._--
FRESH. DRY.
Water, 75.71 percent
Protein, 19.03 „ 79.31 percent
Fat, 4.07 „ 16.74 „
Ash, 1.19 „ 4.92 „
=Common Pompano.=--The pompano (family Carangidæ) is one of the food
fishes which is most highly esteemed along the Gulf coast. It has been
found as far north as Cape Cod on the Atlantic coast, but does not
occur in sufficient numbers to make it of any economic value as a food
fish north of Florida. It is taken chiefly in the Gulf waters. The
average weight of the pompano is from 2 to 3 pounds, though very much
larger examples are sometimes found. As a food fish there is none that
is regarded more highly than the pompano, especially when it is eaten
fresh from the water and prepared in the manner of the creole cooks of
New Orleans.
_Composition._--
FRESH. DRY.
Water, 72.78 percent
Protein, 18.65 „ 72.37 percent
Fat, 7.57 „ 24.46 „
Ash, 1.00 „ 3.82 „
These data show that the edible portion of the pompano is valued
both for its protein and its fat. The latter exists in quantities of
approximately one-third of the former. It is not so much its nutritive
value which makes the pompano desirable as a food fish but the extreme
delicacy of flavor and the richness of its taste. It does not bear
shipping well, and therefore is found in its greatest perfection only
near the place where it is taken.
In New Orleans and in Florida the pompano is one of the principal food
fishes furnished by the high-class hotels and restaurants to their
guests.
=Red Snapper.=--The red snapper (_Lutianus aya_) is the most noted fish
of all the snapper family (Lutianidæ), although there are others which
are highly prized, such as the gray snapper. It sometimes reaches a
length of two or three feet and a weight of from 10 to 35 pounds. It is
particularly abundant in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico and off
the west coast of Florida. The red snapper bears shipping better than
most of the Gulf fish, and Pensacola is one of the principal points
where the fish are packed in ice as soon as possible after capture and
dispatched to northern markets.
_Composition._--
FRESH. DRY.
Water, 78.46 percent
Protein, 19.20 „ 91.75 percent
Fat, 1.03 „ 4.70 „
Ash, 1.31 „ 6.05 „
This is another one of the fishes in which the edible portion is almost
exclusively protein, the fat appearing only in small quantities.
=Rock Bass=; =Redeye=; =Goggle-eye= (_Ambloplites rupestris_).--The
rock bass is a very common fish particularly abundant in the fresh
waters of the northern central portions of the United States. It is the
fish which the American boy, living near small streams, most delights
to catch. The size of the rock bass varies largely according to the
magnitude of the body of water in which it lives. The average weight of
the fish in streams of ordinary size is probably about a pound, though
often it is considerably more. The rock bass has been propagated to
some extent by the Bureau of Fisheries and has been introduced into
waters where it formerly did not occur.
=Salmon.=--The salmon is one of the most important food fishes of
the United States. It belongs to the genus _Oncorhynchus_. The five
species of this genus are, in America, confined to our Pacific coast.
Of these species the one known as blueback or sockeye is found most
abundantly in the Fraser and Columbia rivers and in Alaska, the silver
salmon in Puget Sound, the chinook salmon in the Columbia, and the dog
salmon along the coast from California to Bering Sea. The salmon begin
running early in the spring and the early run is considered of greater
value than the later. The habits of the salmon in the deep waters of
the ocean are not very well known. It is only when they come into
fresh water for spawning purposes that their life history can be well
studied. It is believed, however, that they do not go very far from
the shore. The run of salmon on the Pacific coast usually begins about
the latter part of March and lasts through the spring and greater part
of the summer. On account of the great abundance of these fish on the
Pacific coast and the distance from large markets the canning industry
has developed with great rapidity. In fact on the Pacific coast the
product of salmon fishing is devoted almost exclusively to canning
purposes. In the canning of salmon no particular care is taken, and
perhaps none at all to designate upon the can whether its contents are
of the early salmon or the later, less valuable run. It is claimed by
many authorities that the salmon of the Pacific coast of America, taken
all together in their relation to the economic problem of fish food,
are the most important and valuable fish in the world.
_Composition of a Pacific Coast Species._--
FRESH. DRY.
Water, 63.61 percent
Protein, 17.46 „ 52.31 percent
Fat, 17.87 „ 49.05 „
Ash, 1.06 „ 2.92 „
_Composition of Atlantic Salmon._--
FRESH. DRY.
Water, 63.61 percent
Protein, 21.60 „ 61.45 percent
Fat, 13.38 „ 36.88 „
Ash, 1.41 „ 3.81 „
The above data show that the Pacific salmon are richer in fat than the
Atlantic salmon. In fact in the edible portion of the fish the fat is
almost as great as the protein.
Another species of Pacific salmon is the humpback salmon (_Oncorhynchus
gorbuscha_), which appears in great abundance in the rivers of Alaska,
but not every year,--usually coming in larger quantities in alternating
years. As a fish to be eaten fresh, this is one of the very best of
the salmons. Owing to the pale color of the flesh, this species does
not hold as high a rank for canning purposes. It cans well, however,
and the product is very palatable and doubtless very nutritious. The
trade-name of the canned product is “pink salmon,” as its flesh is of
a paler color than that of the chinook salmon or red salmon. Another
species is known as dog salmon. It is found in considerable abundance
from California northward to Bering Strait, spawning usually late in
the fall. It is considered as the least valuable for food purposes,
although it is now coming to be used very extensively by freezing, in
which form it finds a ready market both in this country and abroad.
When canned it is put on the market as “chum.” Its chief interest at
the present time is on account of the fact that it is sometimes sold
under the names of better species.
=Chinook Salmon= (_Oncorhynchus tschawytscha_).--This species is also
known as quinnat, king, Columbia river, and Sacramento river salmon. It
is, next to the sockeye, the most important of all salmon in commercial
value. The individuals of this species reach a larger size than those
of any other. They have been known to weigh 90 pounds, and fish of
from 40 to 60 pounds in weight are not infrequently taken. The average
weight of the king salmon which are captured in the Columbia river is
probably not far from 22 pounds, while those that run further south,
for instance in the Sacramento river, average 16 pounds.
Another species, known as silver salmon (_Oncorhynchus kisutch_), also
has a number of other names, mostly of Eastern or Russian origin. It
is quite an important member of the genus and its average weight is
about 5 pounds. It is very valuable as a food fish, only the Chinook
and blueback salmon going ahead of it. It is also a species which
bears shipment in a fresh state very well. The silver salmon resembles
very closely the Chinook, but is easily distinguished therefrom by
experienced fishermen. The canned product of this species is usually
put on the market as “medium red” or “coho” salmon, names which have
now come to have a definite meaning and are perfectly understood by the
trade.
=The Sockeye or Blueback Salmon= (_Oncorhynchus nerka_).--This is the
species which has the greatest commercial value and forms a large part
of the catch of the Pacific coast. It is the most abundant of all the
species of salmon in Alaska. Its flesh has a rich red or “salmon”
color, and lends itself admirably to canning processes. In palatability
and attractiveness as a canned product it is not inferior to any,
unless, possibly, the Columbia river chinook.
_Canning of Salmon._--The canning of salmon is one of the most
important of the fish industries of the United States. The immense
coast line possessed by the United States on the west, which is so
vastly extended by the Alaskan coast and Aleutian Islands, affords the
most extensive fisheries of salmon in the world. As has already been
stated, there are no large markets in that region in which the fresh
salmon can find a purchaser. The fish, therefore, must be neglected
as a food product or else prepared in some way to enable them to be
shipped to great distances. Probably the most unobjectionable way is
by canning. The principles of the canning of salmon are not different
at all from those which underlie the sterilization of any kind of
food. The establishments in which the canning takes place are perhaps
the most extensive in the world. The prime necessity in these cases
is to secure complete sterilization. In the case of fish any failure
to secure the proper sterilization is the more reprehensible, because
fish decompose so readily, forming fermentative products which are
extremely poisonous. Cases of poisoning from eating canned salmon have
been reported, and in some cases they may prove fatal. Every can of
salmon which is to be eaten ought to be examined carefully in order to
see if there are any incipient signs of decomposition. A bad smelling
or otherwise imperfect can should be rejected without question. Only
the fish which is perfectly fresh to the taste and odor and which gives
no signs of any kind of deterioration should be eaten. When properly
prepared, canned salmon affords a delicacy as well as a food product
which can hardly be too highly prized.
_Composition of Canned Salmon._--Mean of three samples. Water-free
substance:
Protein, 53.52 percent
Fat, 40.52 „
Ash, 6.24 „
=The Salmon of the Atlantic Coast.=--As has already been noted, the
Pacific salmon belong to a different genus from the common Atlantic
salmon,--_Salmo salar_. There is a very close resemblance between the
two genera, and the common name “salmon” is applied to the individuals
of each. The Atlantic salmon is a fish which has been known from the
earliest time. The Roman people became acquainted with it in the early
history of the Republic, and especially when they conquered Gaul and
Britain. It is found distributed over the whole North Atlantic coast,
but especially the northern portion from Massachusetts northward. The
salmon extends, as far as observations have been made, beyond even
the Arctic circle, and the same species is found upon the western and
northern shores of Europe. The salmon enters the St. Lawrence and has
been found as far up as Niagara Falls. Our principal fisheries for this
species are in Maine and in Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.
They do not extend southward beyond the Delaware and have rarely been
found in that river. The shad and salmon were particularly abundant
in early colonial days. The shad were so abundant that they were not
regarded as useful for food purposes, but their value as a fertilizer
was taught to the whites by the Indians. Salmon, apparently, were
equally abundant, and it was considered an affront to offer salmon
more than twice a week even to servants. In this respect they were
on the same plane as the diamond back terrapin and canvas back duck,
which were so abundant, in those days, that they were a drug on the
market. The salmon enters the fresh-water streams for the purpose of
spawning. The eggs are largely laid late in the fall, and in that case
do not hatch until the next spring. The Atlantic salmon often reach a
very large size. Individuals have been known to weigh from 40 to even
80 pounds. The average weight of the salmon taken in Maine waters is
about 10 pounds each. Another valued specimen of salmon is known as the
Sebago salmon (_Salmo sebago_), from the lake in which it occurs. It is
a fresh-water fish, having been doubtless landlocked in some way after
originally entering from the sea. Still a third species is the famous
ouananiche (_Salmo ouananiche_), inhabiting the waters of the Lake St.
John region north of Quebec.
_Composition of Atlantic Salmon._--
FRESH. DRY.
Water, 76.74 percent
Protein, 18.52 „ 79.13 percent
Fat, 3.60 „ 15.32 „
Ash, 1.14 „ 4.93 „
_Composition of Sebago Salmon._--
FRESH. DRY.
Water, 78.54 percent
Protein, 17.24 „ 78.00 percent
Fat, 2.98 „ 13.74 „
Ash, 1.24 „ 5.76 „
The above data show a striking difference in the composition of the
edible portions of Pacific and Atlantic salmon. This difference is
shown chiefly in the relative proportion of fat. In the Pacific salmon
the fat approaches in quantity the protein, while in the Atlantic
salmon the protein is much greater than the fat. The Atlantic salmon
is used chiefly in the fresh state for two reasons, first, because
the catch is very much smaller than that of the Pacific species while
the markets are very much more numerous and very much larger; second,
because it is commercially more profitable to dealers in the fresh
state. In Europe and Scotland the salmon is constantly used in a
fresh state during the whole of the summer and a dinner is scarcely
considered complete without it. It is also very commonly used at
luncheon. It is generally eaten cold and offers a food product of high
palatability and great nutritive value in so far as the protein is
concerned. Eaten with plenty of potato, as it usually is, it forms a
reasonably well-balanced ration. The American visitor who is not used
to eating salmon every day is likely to find its constant occurrence
upon the English table in the summer to be a bit trying to his taste.
=Sardines.=--The sardine belongs to the herring family--in fact
small herring along the coast of Maine are put up as sardines. The
sardines are very closely related to the herrings, but there are
rather important differences. The European sardine, which is known
as the sardine, is the _Sardinia pilcharda_, and does not occur on
the coast of the United States. The species existing on the Pacific
coast is known as the California sardine (_Sardinia cærulea_). It is
quite abundant on the California coast and spawns in the open sea. It
resembles very strongly the European sardine, but has no teeth. The
Spanish sardine (_Sardinia pseudohispanica_) is found rather abundantly
in Cuba and is often carried northward in the Gulf Stream as far as
Woods Hole or Cape Cod. It is about 8 inches in length and of high food
value, resembling very closely the European sardine. There has been a
good deal of discussion as to whether or not small herring which are
packed as sardines in the United States should be allowed, under the
food laws of the various states and of the United States, to be sold by
that name. The answer to this is that any deception in the label should
be avoided. The herring, however, belongs to the same genus as the
true sardine, and, differing from it only in the variation of species,
may have some right to the name. The true ethical principles of trade,
however, would require that they should be named Maine sardines or
herring sardines and not bear the name simply sardines, which is
reserved exclusively for the species _Sardinia pilcharda_.
_Composition of Canned Sardines._--
Water, 56.37 percent
Water-free substance, 43.63 „
Protein, 24.87 „
Fats, 12.71 „
Ash, 5.00 „
Sodium chlorid, 0.61 „
The above data are based upon the analysis of the sample after the oil
has been separated by drainage.
=European Sardines.=--The sardine is eaten fresh along the Spanish
and French coast, where they are taken in great abundance and form a
delicious food in this condition. The number which is given to a single
individual is quite generous, as the writer has had served him on the
Mediterranean coast in Spain as many as twenty fresh sardines at one
order. The number, however, was not found any too large when the
palatability of the product is taken into consideration. Sardines are
preserved by salt and smoke and particularly by packing in oil.
_Method of Packing in Oil._--The sardines after proper cleaning are
heated in oil for the purpose of sterilizing them. Olive oil is usually
employed for this purpose, though some packers prefer to heat the fish
in peanut oil, claiming that it gives them a better color. There seems
to be, however, no sufficient ground for this claim. The peanut oil
is probably used simply because it is cheaper. When the fish are thus
sterilized and thoroughly cooked they are placed in boxes in the well
known manner in which they are found and covered with oil, sealed,
and, if necessary, again sterilized in order to prevent decomposition.
Olive oil is the oil usually employed for packing purposes, though
cheaper grades of edible oil are very commonly found in sardines.
The substitutes for olive oils which are usually employed are peanut
oil, cottonseed oil, and sesame oil, either single or mixed. When the
sardines have been previously boiled in a cheaper oil and then packed
with olive oil the olive oil will be contaminated with the cheaper oil
used in the boiling.
_Adulteration of Sardines._--As indicated above, the chief adulteration
of sardines is in the misbranding respecting the nature of the fish
and the oil used in packing. A young herring packed in the manner
of a sardine properly demands a special label instead of the word
“sardine” alone. A difference respecting the misbranding in regard to
the oil employed is avoided by the statement on the package of the
character of the oil used. The phrase “Sardines packed in oil” should
be construed always to mean in the highest grade oil, that is, olive
oil. This phrase, however, is usually employed when inferior oils are
used. Inasmuch as oil is not the name of any individual product but of
a large class of products, including that of both animal and vegetable
origin, it is generally held that the term “oil” is not a sufficient
indication of the character of the oil used. In all cases the packages
should designate the special kind of oil used in the preparation. The
addition of chemical preservatives to sardines in so far as the author
knows, is not practiced, at least not to any appreciable extent.
_The French Fisheries._--The sardine fisheries in France are mostly
off the coast of Brittany, and are subject to many very serious
fluctuations. For instance, the present year, 1906, has been one
of disaster to the French fisheries. What is the cause of the
disappearance of the pilchard (the true sardine) is not known. The
fishermen think that large fish have driven the small ones either into
the Bay of Biscay or the Mediterranean, or even to the west shores of
Africa. The fish are thought to originate in the Mediterranean, and
their name is derived from the fact that they were originally found in
great quantities off the coast of Sardinia. When the spring comes and
the fine weather is established they migrate first along the coast of
Spain, finally reaching the French coast some time during the month
of May. By this time the young fish are nearly grown to a proper size
for catching. The fishing, however, does not really begin until July
and is usually finished by November. The little town of Concarneau is
the seat of these fisheries. About two thousand small boats go out
from this town and at or near this place are also the large canneries
and packing establishments. The fishing grounds are about five miles
from the coast and the small boats sail out from two to four o’clock
in the morning. The fishing is by means of nets and a very important
part of the work is the spreading of the bait upon the surface of the
water to attract the fish. The principal bait or _roque_ is the roe of
the cod, which sometimes reaches a price of $60 per barrel. Sometimes
a single boat will use from 30 to 40 barrels of bait. Only the most
skilled fisherman, usually the master himself, is allowed to distribute
this precious material. As many as one hundred thousand fish have
been caught in the net, though this magnitude of catch is, of course,
exceptional. When the fish are brought ashore they are counted into
baskets, about 200 to a basket, and those unfit for use are thrown out.
They are taken to the canneries as quickly as possible to be cleaned,
boiled, dipped in oil, and then hermetically sealed into a tin in which
they are sent into commerce.
_Adulteration._--The chief adulteration of sardines is found in
misbranding as to country of origin. The French catch has the highest
reputation of any in the world and for this reason the label is often
made to represent the fish as of French origin when in reality they
are caught on the shores of Spain or of other countries. Formerly the
fish were brought in great numbers from the Spanish coast into France.
They were naturally much deteriorated in transit. Nevertheless they
were tinned and marked as of pure French origin. This practice has now
been forbidden by law in France. The Norwegian fish known as Sprötten
(sprats) on the German and Holland coasts are packed as sardines and
sent into this country as sardines.
=Scup.=--The scup is a fish (family Sparidæ) which is taken in great
abundance on our Atlantic coast in the summer and autumn and is brought
in immense quantities to the market. The proper name of the fish is
_Stenotomus chrysops_.
_Composition._--
FRESH. DRY.
Water, 74.99 percent
Protein, 18.52 „ 75.33 percent
Fat, 5.11 „ 19.25 „
Ash, 1.38 „ 5.64 „
The flesh of this fish is a better balanced ration than that of the red
snapper, the proportion of fat being much larger.