In this chapter, we will focus on fish and essential knowledge with you. We will take a closer look at the challenges faced by our food industry and how these impact our daily lives in gastronomy. In particular, we will also address a very current and important topic – Aquaculture.
Classification and Allocation
There are various methods to classify fish into groups, but the simplest way is to differentiate them based on their shape and body structure. Therefore, we categorize them into cartilaginous fish (sharks, rays) and bony fish (flat and round fish). Apart from that, fish are also categorized into freshwater fish and marine fish.
Cartilaginous Fish
The skeleton of cartilaginous fish lacks ribs and bones like other fish; instead, it consists only of cartilage. Their skin is thicker, leathery, and often has calcifications. The gills are easily recognizable with the gill slits.
The main representatives of cartilaginous fish are sharks and rays.
Bony Fish
Culinarily, bony fish are far more important as they represent the majority of fish. Although there are various types of bony fish, their body structure is always built according to the same pattern. Their skeleton consists mostly of true bone tissue, their skin is covered with scales, and their gills are protected by gill covers. Bony fish can be further divided into flatfish and round fish for easier classification.
Round fish have a central backbone with a fillet on each side and an eye on each side of the head. Some of the most important culinary round fish include: salmon, tuna, cod, trout, mackerel, herring, swordfish, halibut, sea bream, sea bass, carp, and more.
Flatfish are characterized by a flat, laterally compressed body shape. They have a central backbone with two fillets on the upper side and two fillets on the lower side. Both eyes are on the same side of the head. Some of the most important culinary flatfish include: plaice, sole, flounder, turbot, John Dory, and more.
