It is believed that river fish are more bony than sea fish. What is the reason and why do the inhabitants of the seas have a different skeleton structure?
Why do fish need a lot of bones?
In addition to the spinal bones, most river inhabitants have many small bones that are not fastened together and are located in the spinal muscles. They play the role of a kind of framework of strength. Thin bones, often in the form of a slingshot, increase elasticity, the strength of contraction and muscle straightening. Swimming with a developed skeleton is more energy-efficient and faster. For a sharp turn, they use fins and a wide tail. In rivers, a strong current and a developed skeleton helps fish cope with water resistance. Thanks to the powerful skeleton, the fish also dives deeper, while the swimming bladder helps it not go to the bottom.
Interesting fact: Boneless fish are thought to be more healthy. However, this is a fallacy. All river fish have a higher nutritional value. It contains amino acids and vitamins necessary for the human body, and the proportion of protein reaches 20%. And since the inhabitants of the seas have only a ridge, the impression is created that boneless species are more useful. In fact, the only advantage of boneless fish over bony fish is the simplicity of its cutting. It is enough to pull out the ridge and you can not be afraid to choke on a bone during a meal. Therefore, salads, soups and other fish dishes are often prepared from boneless fish.
Common misconception
The theory that river fish are more bony than marine fish is not supportedif you consider all kinds. A large number of different fish live in the seas, the number of species reaches 3,000. But fish are caught in the seas only by fishing. Therefore, only the most popular species, such as pollock, halibut, hake, cod, appear on the plate at the consumer. This is the fish that is in demand because of its taste, as well as the simplicity of its preparation.
However, in the seas, for example, a seahorse, belonging to the genus of radiant fish, lives. His body is covered with many bone plates. And the sea herring is also quite bony. In addition to the main spinal bones, she also has arched rib bones and many small bones located along the ridge and not connected to it.
Of the river fish, people most often eat crucian carp, perch, pike, and representatives of the carp family. In total, no more than 300 species inhabit rivers, ponds and lakes. Usually these are individuals of medium and small sizes. They have many small bones. But if we consider large river or lake inhabitants, then most often these are species with a small number of bones, such as catfish, pike perch, common carp, burbot. Almost no small bones in eels and river lampreys.
The bony fish is roach. This fact did not make her less popular among anglers. Roach is found in almost all reservoirs of the world, and in some countries the image of this fish is even placed on the arms of cities. Dried roach or ram, which are subspecies of roach, are considered the best fish snacks.This small fish, even the largest individuals rarely reach a weight of 100 g.
The myth that river fish are bony and no sea fish has arisen due to limited consumption of marine species. People buy sea fish in stores, and on the shelves there is a product that is convenient in cooking. In fact, there are many marine inhabitants, and some of them have a complex skeleton. There are few species of river fish. Most inhabitants of rivers and lakes are small in size, therefore they are bony, as a strong skeleton helps them survive in a freshwater reservoir and protect themselves from predators.
