Shamaika fish: a description of what the royal delicacy looks like and where it is found

Shamayka is a fish that is widespread in the Black and Azov Seas. It has excellent taste and contains many valuable components. Therefore, both professional fishermen and amateurs are engaged in catching this fish. The increased production of fish has led to its almost complete disappearance. In 2006, she was included in the Red Book. However, poachers continue to catch and now.

Description of the fish

This fish has been known since ancient times. It is first mentioned in the Persian state. The name of the individual from Farsi is translated as "royal fish" .

Appearance

By visual signs, the royal fish is more reminiscent of ordinary bleak. Her characteristic features include:

• silver scales - on the sides it has the brightest color;
• greenish skin tone;
• flattened laterally torso;
• bluish overflows on the head;
• big lower jaw;
• reddish-orange front fins.

A characteristic feature of the shamayka is the strongly retracted dorsal fin. His fish straightens up when necessary to move quickly or when danger appears.

Habitat

The main condition for the normal existence of this fish is clean water, which contains a lot of oxygen. Shamaika lives in the following places:

• basins of the Caspian, Azov and Black Seas and the rivers that flow into them;
• Aral Sea;
• Kuban and Don rivers;
• mouths of Kura and Terek.

Black Sea varieties are able to move to the Dnieper and Dniester. Small populations of these fish are found in western Europe. They live in the Danube basin. Also, these individuals are found in the Bavarian reservoir.

Food

Shamayka looks like an omnivorous fish. But as individuals grow, they begin to eat more and more animal food. Little by little, small beetles and worms begin to dominate the diet. Shamaika also eats small fish of other species. In addition, she willingly absorbs mosquito larvae. At the same time, fishermen who catch shamayka note that it bites well on bread and various types of porridge.

Natural Enemies

The main natural enemies of fish, which is often mistakenly called a shaman, are large predators.These primarily include catfish and pikes. At the same time, fish feel much more comfortable and safer in sea water, since the number of predators relative to the area becomes smaller. At the same time, marine predatory fish also threaten the shamayka population. This, in particular, concerns the sterlet, whose population in the Sea of Azov is very large.

Spawning

Spawning is particularly influenced by the habitat of the fish. Climatic features are also important. For example, in the Kuban River, the shamayka breeds from September to April. At the same time, on the Don, this happens only in the spring.

Individuals are able to reproduce starting from the third year of life. Until this period, the fish lives in the sea - for example, in the Azov-Black Sea basin. After reaching puberty, a flock of shamaykas moves to a spawning ground. At the same time, it takes them a lot of time to find a suitable place.

Most often shamayks prefer places with a rocky bottom, active current and cool water. The females lay their eggs at night. At the same time, it is distributed along the bottom by the current and sticks to the stones. After the spawning process is completed, the females return to the sea. In this case, the fry appear only after 5 days. They move to the marine environment only after 1 year. By this time, the weight of the fish does not exceed 1 gram.

Why is this a delicacy

Both in Rus' and in the Middle East shamayka has always been considered a delicacy. It is characterized by a delicate taste and high fat content. Therefore, the fish began to be a success with the crowned persons. The name itself comes from Persia. At the same time, the Russian monarchs gladly accepted him. It is not known who specifically began to call the royal fish. However, back in the 19th century, it was this phrase that was used to designate the Black Sea shamayka.

Reason for the high price

Today the fish is listed in the Red Book.However, it was not always on the verge of extinction. Once the shamayka was very common. However, its habitat was the southern reservoirs of Russia. Until the middle of the 19th century, getting there was difficult and expensive. At the same time, it was not possible to breed these individuals in artificial reservoirs. The fish simply didn't survive. Because it has always been quite expensive.

Varieties

Biologists distinguish 2 main types of individuals and approximately 30 subspecies. The main varieties of shamayka include:

1. Caspian - differs in rather large sizes. It has gray fins and a dark color. This fish is characterized by excellent taste.
2. Azov-Black Sea - is considered more rare. In addition, this fish is much tastier than the Caspian, which makes it even more in demand. She has bright fins and a less tall body.

Similar fish

Royal fish in appearance resembles many representatives of the Karpov family.At the same time, it is most similar to a fish. However, he has a taller and narrower body. In addition, the fish is less long. It is not as brightly colored as the shamayka. By these signs, fish can be easily distinguished from each other if you carefully examine them.

Another similar fish is the Volga herring. However, it has more noticeable differences. These individuals belong to different families. As a consequence, they have more marked anatomical differences, including skeletal structure. Herring is characterized by a more pronounced forehead. In addition, she has noticeable dark fins.

Is fishing allowed

The main natural enemies of shamayka are people. Catching this fish has become an expensive and dangerous activity for some time now. The cost of these individuals exceeds the price of sturgeon - primarily in the Sea of Azov.

About a hundred years ago, small fish were caught with a net. The unique meat was a craft for the local population, and for fish farms, and for tourist fishermen. Gradually, the fish population began to decrease. The reason for this was the construction of power plants, as well as uncontrolled fishing.

Expert opinionZarechny Maxim ValerievichAgronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best gardening expert.Ask a QuestionIn addition, there is pollution of rivers, drying up of the seas, and a change in the course. This negatively affects the conditions of reproduction. Not surprisingly, the fish population began to decline rapidly. In 2007, the fish was even listed in the Red Book of Russia as an endangered species. Shamaika has practically disappeared from the Azov-Black Sea basin, where it used to be widespread.

Gradually, work began to restore the population. In special nurseries, people began to breed fry and release them into natural reservoirs.Artificially, the shamayka was settled in the reservoirs of Kalmykia and Stavropol. The same was done in the Rostov and Volgograd regions. Since 2014, fry have been constantly released. In a year, this figure reaches 3.5 million.

Gradually, the fish population began to grow. Recently, the question has even begun to be raised of excluding the shamayka from the Red Book. But the workers of the Azov Research Institute of Fisheries decided not to hurry. They moved this fish from endangered to recovering.

Gradually, the position of the shamayka began to improve. However, it is impossible to catch her now. There are heavy fines for illegal harvesting of such individuals. For 1 fish you will have to pay 2-5 thousand rubles. With mass fishing using nets, you can get a real time. If females are found in the catch, the fine will increase by 2 times.

Despite the adopted regulations, poachers continue to engage in illegal activities. Therefore, people who buy rare fish from their hands automatically turn into partners in crime.

It is worth considering that some subspecies are allowed to be caught today. They were removed from the Red Book as the population recovered. It is important to know who to catch, because otherwise you will have to pay a fine for poaching. Its size depends on the status of the offender:

• for individuals, the amount of the fine is 5,000 rubles;
• for officials, the amount increases to 15,000 rubles;
• mining for industrial purposes is criminalized;
• fishing during spawning faces criminal liability.

Use in cooking

Donskaya and any other types of shamayka have excellent taste qualities. Because they are often used in cooking.

What fish tastes like

This fish is considered relatively oily and has a delicate crumbly texture. When properly cooked, the meat literally melts in your mouth.Fans of this product note that it acquires special taste qualities during the spawning of fish. However, it is impossible to catch it during this period - criminal liability is provided for this.

The only disadvantage of the fish is the abundance of small bones. They have to be removed manually before use. However, very small fish can be eaten right with the bones - it will not do any harm.

Useful and harmful properties

100 grams of fish pulp contains only 88 kilocalories. Therefore, it can be safely called a dietary product. At the same time, it contains a large amount of proteins, which include the most important amino acids. It is useful to eat shamayka and athletes. It helps them build muscle tissue. The use of this fish allows you to burn a large number of calories and maintain metabolic processes at a normal level. This helps to eliminate excess weight.

Shamayka is very useful during pregnancy and lactation. In addition, it should be used by people who are constantly faced with stress or increased physical exertion. It is better for children to give fish in the form of cutlets, since it contains many small bones.

It is worth considering that shamayka includes a large amount of phosphorus. This element strengthens bones and teeth. Also, this substance favorably affects the functioning of the brain. Another valuable component of shamayka is fluorine. It perfectly strengthens bones and helps prevent tooth decay.

The fish also contains zinc, which is involved in the synthesis of hormones. The lack of this substance in the body adversely affects the condition of the skin, nails and hair. In the stronger sex, zinc deficiency provokes problems with the synthesis of testosterone. As a result, this negatively affects potency. In addition, zinc strengthens the immune system and increases people's resistance to stress.

Shamaika is considered an absolutely harmless fish. But people with intolerance to fish protein and seafood should eat it carefully. Also, do not use a product that has not undergone a full heat treatment. This is due to the risk of parasites in the body of this fish.

To improve he alth, shamayka should be eaten baked or stewed. At the same time, it is recommended to refuse dried and smoked fish in case of hypertension, diseases of the liver and kidneys. The fact is that such products contain a lot of s alt, which worsens the prognosis for these pathologies.

Recipes

Shamayka is characterized by excellent taste qualities. She is considered an elite representative of the Karpov family. Smoked and dried fish are especially appreciated. At the same time, the best taste qualities are typical for fish that were caught during spawning.

An important disadvantage of royal fish is a large number of small bones in the meat. To eliminate them, it is worth marinating the fish in a weak vinegar solution. This should be done for 6-8 hours.

Finding fresh or frozen fish for sale can be difficult. In most cases, it is sold smoked or dried. If it was possible to purchase a fresh product, it is recommended to bake it. This can be done in a sleeve or foil. Thanks to this, you will be able to get a very juicy dish.

To cook fried shamayka, in addition to fish, you will need to take lemon juice, flour, s alt, vegetable oil. You can also add soy sauce if you like. First, the fish must be thoroughly cleaned, the entrails and gills removed. If this is not done, bitterness will be present in the finished dish.

Squeeze a lemon on the cleaned fish. If desired, it can be greased with soy sauce and put in the refrigerator for 1.5-2 hours. It is important to bear in mind that at this stage the meat should not be s alted.While the shamayka is marinating, you need to mix the flour with s alt. Before starting cooking, pour oil into the pan and heat it up. Then roll the fish in a mixture of flour and s alt, put in a pan and fry on both sides until golden brown.

The most common way to cook shamayka in Rus' was drying. First, the carcasses are recommended to be placed in the refrigerator, then sprinkled with layers of s alt. This must be done in a metal container. Then the product must be removed again for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

After the specified time, it is recommended to wash the fish and hang it in a well-ventilated place. A week later, the dish will be ready. Dried shamayka will be an excellent snack for beer.

Cold-smoked shamayka is also very popular. The preparatory stage coincides with the preparation of dried fish.However, instead of a week in a draft, the shamayka should be kept under a fan for 12 hours. And it needs to be placed head up. Otherwise, all the fat will leave the fish, which will negatively affect the taste of the fish.

After s alting the carcasses, it is recommended to place them in a smokehouse under cold smoke. Its temperature should not exceed +30 degrees. When choosing chips, you can give preference to alder or beech. Chips of any fruit trees are also suitable. In summer, smoking lasts 4 hours, and in winter - 7.

Shamayka is called the royal fish for a reason. It has tasty and he althy meat. At the same time, fishing is prohibited, as its population is rapidly declining.

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