Thyrsites

Snoek ( Thyrsites atun )

The Snoek ( Thyrsites atun ), pronounced, Snuk ', actually snoek - Makreel, " Snooks " ( Afrikaans and Dutch) is one of the snake mackerel ( Gempylidae ). He is up to 2 m long and up to 10 years old, but is so slender and laterally flattened, that it is only just over 6 kg then. Nevertheless, it is an important, sought-after, and therefore vulnerable food fish of the southern hemisphere. The genus is monotypic Thyrsites.

Appearance

The Snoek is even slimmer than the Escolar. Head and trunk are blue silver, the back darker than the sides. His head is long and pointed, the lower jaw much longer than the upper jaw. The black first dorsal fin is five times as long as the weichstrahlige second. This is like the same size anal fin triangular, to both follow 6 or 7 Flössel. The pelvic fins are very small.

The Gebiss shows especially in the upper jaw forward a dense series of long, curved fangs - it resembles the very herein by Macrodon ancylodon from the family of croakers whose food yes, there is also mainly from floating ( and seated ) cancers. This dentition now allows obviously an interpretation of the scientific name Thyrsites ( marked by Lesson in 1831, taken over by Cuvier 1832). " Thyrsites " looks like a derivative of θύρσος, a " plant stems " ( and attribute the Bacchantes - but that does not make sense ) - or as a clerical error or an allusion to Θερσίτης ( Thersites ), the " ugliest Greeks at Troy: spitzköpfig, loudmouthed and squint-eyed "; atύn is a Spanish form of " tuna ".

Fins formula: D1 XVIII -XX, D2 I/11-13, AI/9-11, P approximately 13 VI/4-5.- 35 vertebrae.

Dissemination and lifestyle

The Snoek became known first from the sea off South Africa, but he is in the southern temperate ocean (12-18 ° C) are present around the globe, including in front of Tierra del Fuego, Patagonia, southern Chile, New Zealand ( where it is called " Barracouta " ), Tasmania, New South Wales, from the oceanic islands ( the northernmost St. Helena seems to be ) and is above seamounts in this area, the southern boundary at about 56 ° S. There are obviously a number of populations.

He lives swarm, in depths of 0-450 m ( the eyes are not quite as large as the advancing further into the depths genera ), ie epi - (especially at night ) to bathypelagic. Its diet consists - besides the aforementioned crustaceans ( here especially krill ( Euphausiacea ) ) - also from fish, especially herring -like, octopus and others.

Use

The Snoek is fished everywhere ( as sport) and is therefore at risk. In South Africa, one suspicious of the South African fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus) to eat "too much pike ". 1978 " harvested " the South Africans 81,000 t " snoeken " from, but since then the yield went back to around 20,000 t per year. 1999, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the total catch was reported by 41 472 t ( 20 642 t New Zealand, South Africa 11,188 t). Especially popular is the smoked Snoek ( in bundles ), but it is suitable for almost any form of preparation equally well.