Oilfish

Oil fish, drawing from Oceanic Ichthyology by G. Brown Goode and Tarleton H. Bean ( 1896).

The fish oil ( Ruvettus pretiosus ( Syn: Ruvettus tydemani Weber, 1913) ) is a species of the family of snake mackerel and the only species of the genus Ruvettus. The oil fish inhabited the seas of tropical and temperate zone at a depth of 100 to 800 m alone or in pairs. Diet of the Ruvettus are fish and cephalopods.

Features

Adult males reach lengths of 80 cm to over two meters and a weight of up to 63.5 kg. The type is similar to the related species Rexea solandri (Royal Escolar ), but has smaller eyes, a small mouth and a lower dorsal fin. The color of the fish is a dark, reddish brown on the back and a paler, silvery color on the belly. The eyes of the fish oil are " phosphorescent ". (This information has attracted much controversy. Firstly, it can be just about bioluminescence. Secondly, would be " glowing eyes " a sense physiological problem. Either so it was thought eyes with reflective tapetum lucidum as in cats and other nocturnal animals, and (z. . B. deep Sea ) Fishing or you not watched a glow on living, but at the rotting, populated by luminous bacteria fish or there is a light organ to the eye or on the iris -. to illuminate the immediate area, as similar to that of Anomalopidae is known. )

The scales, which occur quite late in development in appearance, are built complicated and give the fish a rough skin surface. " Nevertheless " set its friction resistance when swimming markedly reduced. The anterior dorsal fin is supported by Hart 14-16 rays; it decreases with increasing size of the fish relatively low. The pelvic fins are small, but always clear.

Use

The flesh of the fish oil is indeed edible, but the oils contained in the flesh to 18-21 % by weight, especially wax esters may cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting, and cramps and headaches. In Japan and Italy, there is a ban on the flesh of the fish oil. In Australia, the sale of meat is forbidden as food. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment advises caution when eating the fish, which is sometimes sold here under the trade names escolar or butterfish.

2006 sold the Hong Kong-based supermarket chain Park Store canned meat of fish oil by the designation "cod fish ( oilfish ) ". Since Cod in English refers to cod, held numerous customers the canning for those with cod and then suffered diarrhea. Compared to fourteen complaints dismissed the company disclaims any obligation, claiming the fish was intended for human consumption. From Chinese supermarkets in Canada in early 2007 were similar incidents reported.

For expeditions in search of the coelacanth in the 1950s repeatedly tried fishing the Comoros, the researchers JLB Smith to sell caught fish oil as alleged coelacanth.