Jeelani Marine - Seafood

Found commonly in the West Pacific and the Indian Ocean the Indian Mackerel is a subspecies of the Mackerel family from Order Perciformes. One of the very important food fish in this region you would find it as a crucial part of South and South East Asian cuisines. The range of the Indian Mackerel spreads from the Red Sea and East Africa to Indonesia and China.

Body of the Indian Mackerel is deep and usually, the head is longer than the depth of its body. Its maxilla is covered to an extent by the lacrimal bone and extends through the hind margin of its eye. You will also find a black spot which has pretty close to the lower margin of its fin. With a fork length of around 35 centimetres, the Indian Mackerel has an average length of 25 centimetres.

You would usually find the Indian Mackerel in shallow and coastal waters as it needs a temperature of 17 degree Celsius to survive. Adult members of this species can be found in lagoons, coastal bays and harbours. You would also find them in the waters which are rich in plankton. The most common style in which Indian Mackerel is eaten is deep frying with Rava and making into a curry form known as Bangude puli Munche.

A pelagic fish they are named so because of their slim shape. The Ribbonfish has a long compressed body which is tape-like and has a short head. There is no anal fin and the dorsal fin extends till the tail of the fish. The fins of the ribbon fish are small while the pelvic fins comprise of one ray only. If there is a caudal fin present than it has two fascicles of rays out of which the upper one is prolonged and moving outwards.

Ribbon Fish has all the characteristics of fishes which occupy the lower depths of water. Their fins and the membrane that connects them are considered to be quite delicate. In some of the young ribbon fishes, the fin rays are quite elongated and they are often accompanied by appendages.

Specimens of the ribbon fish have been found in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the Bay of Bengal, at Mauritius, and in the Pacific. In England, the north Atlantic species has been given the name dealfish. The length of the ribbon fish may range from 5 to 8 feet but occasionally it may reach up to a size of 20 feet.

The silver croaker or Pennahia argentata I avidly found in the Northwest Pacific region from Japan, Hong Kong to North Korea and Yellow sea. Its length at maturity remains around 14 cm but there have been instances where fishes of high length like 40 cm have also been found. With regards to its dorsal rays, they are around 11 in number while dorsal soft rays can be anywhere from 25-28.

The Silver croaker has 2 anal spines and 7-8 anal soft rays with close to 25 vertebrae to give support to the body. Posterior end of its fin extends along the posterior end of its spinous dorsal fin and is a remarkable feature of its body. There are no markings seen inside the lower jaw teeth and the length of its second anal spine is almost equal to the diameter of its eye.

Silver Croaker is mostly seen in muddy and shallow waters and you have to delve deep to bring them out. Mostly you find these little fish preying and eating other small fishes and invertebrates that they find easily available. When it comes to marketing the Silver Croaker they are used fresh and dried and are quite tasty to consume.

A native of the western Pacific region Yellow croaker is often seen inhabiting temperate waters like those of yellow sea and the East China Sea. Usually, the yellow croaker is found eating zooplankton, small fishes and shrimps etc. Mostly you would find this fish in shallow water conditions but they try to avoid brackish conditions as much as they can. An average male, in this case, reaches a height of 42 cm though the average height still remains around 30 cm.

With red lips, gold body and belly and light yellow fins these fish have an almost rectangular shape. Insides of the mouth are white in colour and its gill slits would be black. Their head has two hard bones which give balance to the fish while swimming. These bones are used for medicinal purposes as well. Another habit of theirs which makes them distinct is that they love to jump over water.

It was once an abundant fish in the Chinese and Japanese waters but in the 1970s over usage led to its population coming down. However, they have again become prominent and are consumed salted and fried which is highly prized in those areas. The breeding season of the Yellow croaker is from March to June and they spawn between 30000-70000 eggs at a time.

Skipjack Tuna is an average sized fish and is also known by multiple names like balaya, aku, arctic bonito, mush mouth, oceanic bonito, striped tuna, or victor fish. Normally it can grow up to 1 metre in length and can be seen in tropical and warm waters. It is for this reason that the Skipjack Tuna is much preferred by the fisheries.

Skipjack Tuna moves around in large shoals of fish around 50000 at a time. It is also seen to feed upon molluscs, crustaceans and cephalopods. Since it is a liked prey for the larger fishes many people use it as a bait to catch some of them. Normally its weight can lie in the range 8-10 kgs but its maximum weight has been recorded at around 34 kgs.

Considered as an important commercial fish you would find it sold in multiple ways like smoked, salted, canned and frozen. Maldives, France, Spain, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia are some countries where the Skipjack Tuna can be found in abundance. The Skipjack Tuna may have traces of mercury in its body hence its consumption is not recommended for pregnant women. Also known as Katsuo the Skipjack Tuna is an active part of Japanese cuisine.

Having the name of Spanish King Mackerel the Seer Fish is a migratory species which can be found in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Worldwide it is famous for both recreation and commercial purposes. Usually, it is considered to be a medium fish and its size varies from 5 to 14 kgs. In certain cases, though they have been found to exceed 40 kg weight too.

Its first dorsal fin is colourless and you can see it folded back like in a body grove. Colour of the fish is olive on the behind with some fading seen on both belly and the back. Small fishes like those less than 5 kg weight are also seen with yellow brownish spots, especially on its flanks. The teeth are sharp and lined uniformly side by side with very less space in between.

The Seer Fish is carnivorous and leaves no opportunity to eat fish voraciously. Their prey would depend on their size. Normally they do not attack any humans but if they feel any kind of threat they cannot be stopped. From North Carolina to Texas the seer fish is considered to be an optimum gaming fish. For commercial purposes, they are trapped using run-around gill nets.

A subspecies of the snapper the red snapper is a regular inhabitant of western Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico. You find red snapper in areas where reefs are common. Its body shape is quite similar to the other snapper fishes. It has a sloped profile, medium scales, spiny dorsal fin and a compressed body.

By the time the red snapper matures it reaches a length of around 39 cm or 15 inches. Adulthood you would find them at a length of 60 cm going up to 100 cm in some cases. So far its maximum weight that has been recorded is around 38 kg. The colour as the name indicates is red and intense pigmentation can be seen on the back of the fish.

The red snapper is a prized catch and people catch it for both commercial and recreational purposes. In Continental USA the red snapper is around 50% of the fish that is caught. Red snappers can themselves eat anything however the preference is mostly for crustaceans and small fishes. These fish are soft eaters and if you are trying to catch them they would nibble on the bait and escape from your clutches hence multiple hooked baits are used.

A common dolphin fish mahi-mahi is a surface dwelling fish which is known to inhabit temperately, subtropical and tropical waters. You would find these fish in the Gulf of Mexico, Costa Rica and Hawaii. Its name as per the Hawaiian language means very strong. These fish have compressed bodies and the single long dorsal fin extends to its entire length.

Males who have matured have a prominent forehead which protrudes in front while the females have a round head. The caudal and anal fins they have are concave in shape. Most of these fishes have a bright colour like bright gold, green and blue. In fact, its fins are bright blue in colour. Once they are out of the water they change their colour many times. Before dying they adopt the colour yellow grey which is quite distinct.

Mahi Mahi is regularly used for gaming and commercial reasons. Their beauty, size and food quality makes them a popular choice of gaming lovers. You would find the Mahi Mahi floating around debris, near reefs. The United States and the Caribbean countries are major consumers if this fish but now they are becoming a choice for some other countries as well.

These are a group of marine fishes that can be found in shallow tropical and subtropical oceans all across the world. Mostly the species is found in abundance in the Indo Pacific area. You can see them in coral reefs, rocky coasts and seagrass beds. This can also play a very important role in stopping bioerosion.

They are called by this name because of their dentition. Their teeth are placed feet which gives them a parrot-like appearance. The size of the parrot fish varies and can range from anywhere between 30-50 cm. But on certain occasions, you can see them crossing a length of 1 metre as well. The smallest species is the blue lip parrot fish which has a length of just 13 cm.

Parrotfish are mostly herbivorous and eat only algae. Apart from that, they may also feed upon bacteria, detritus and invertebrates. Mostly in the Indopacific region, you would find commercial fisheries dedicated to nurturing them. By protecting the parrot fish we also ensure that Caribbean corals do not outgrow. As per a new study, the parrotfish is extremely important for the health of the Great Barrier Reef as it cleans inshore coral reefs.

Also famous as the Indopacific king mackerel, this fish is a subspecies among the mackerel variety. You can find it abundantly occupying the Indian Ocean and areas around it. A very popular game fish the average weight it can grow up to is around 45 kg. It is also considered to be a very strong fighter. To avoid being caught it can jump out of the water and surprise the catcher too.

The Kingfish is silvery white on the sides and it has multiple rows of brown spots all along its body. The size of the spots is smaller than the diameter of its eyes. Malaysia, India and Thailand have commercial fisheries which deal in handling the kingfish. In India areas around Sunder bans, West Bengal and Chennai is where the fish is abundantly found.

Most of the countries of the Indian subcontinent i.e. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are regulars when it comes to eating this fish. It is eaten fresh or cooked and also used to make fish pickle. Sometimes the same is eaten with freshly cooked rice. Even though Thailand has less availability of the fish the demand to eat is quite high.

Spread across 300 different species the Octopus is a soft limbed mollusc which has eight limbs to use. It is a bilaterally symmetrical animal and has two eyes and a beak. Thanks to its soft body the octopus can change shape and move around in between nooks and corners too. When they move around the eight appendages tend to follow them.

It is said that an Octopus has a complex nervous system but obviously good eyesight and thus are the most behaviourally diverse of all invertebrates. You will find an octopus in various parts of the sea like pelagic waters, coral reefs and the sea beds. Most of the species of octopus grow very quickly leading to early maturity and subsequent death.

Octopus has been aptly used in various forms of mythology and certain fantasy books as well. The entire world loves to eat the octopus but usually, the Mediterranean and Asian areas are true lovers of the same. Giant Pacific octopus has been found to be the largest of the entire octopus available. On the other hand, the Octopus wolfi is smallest with an average length of 2.5 centimetres. It also has an ink sac for protection which can be found under its digestive gland.

The blue swimming crab is a huge crab which can be found in estuaries around Australia and New Caledonia. All over the world, it has been given multiple names like flower crab, blue crab, blue swimmer crab, blue manna crab or sand crab. Males of this species are blue in colour and have white spots on its body. The females, on the other hand, have a dull brown or green colour and are identified due to their round carapace.

During the winter and in day time you would find the blue crab buried under the sand. When its high tides they may come out to feed upon bivalves, fish and macroalgae. They are considered to be excellent swimmers and their flattened legs look like paddles. But they are unable to survive out of the water for very long periods of time.

Found largely in the Indopacific region it is eaten widely in the region. It is one of the high prized species and its meat has a sweet taste to it. In the Persian Gulf, the species is cultivated for meat consumption and the females are considered a better option. The blue crab is also fished in Australia and available to the regular fishers. During the rainy season, the Juveniles migrate from estuaries to the seawater.