Surimi (Japanese: 擂り身, すり身, literally "ground meat") refers to a paste made from fish or

other meat. It can also refer to a number of Asian foods that use surimi as their primary
ingredients. It is available in many shapes, forms, and textures, and often used to mimic the
texture and color of the meat of lobster, crab, and other shellfish.

The most common surimi product in the Western market is imitation crab meat. Such a
product often is sold as krab, imitation crab and mock crab in the United States, and as
seafood sticks, crab sticks, fish sticks or seafood extender in Commonwealth nations. In
Britain the product is sometimes known as Seafood sticks, to avoid breaching trading
standards rules on false advertising.

A tub of uncured fish surimi ready for processing

Kanikama (en:Surimi), Crab sticks – imitation crab meat

made from surimiCrab sticks – imitation crab meat made
from surimi

1
 Crab stick "Kaori-bako"

History[edit]
The process for making surimi was developed in many areas of East Asia over several
centuries though the exact history and origins of this product are unclear. In China, the
food was used to make fish balls (魚蛋/魚丸) and ingredients in a thick soup known as
"Geng" (羹) common in Fujian cuisine. In Japan, it is used in the making of
numerous kamaboko, fish sausage, or cured surimi products.

The industrialized surimi-making process was refined in 1969 by Nishitani Yōsuke of

Japan's Hokkaidō Fisheries Experiment Institute to process the increased catch of fish,
to revitalize Japan's fish industry, and to make use of what used to be considered
"fodder fish".[citation needed] Surimi industrial technology developed by Japan in the early
1960s promoted the growth of the surimi industry. The successful growth of the industry
was based on the Alaska pollock (or walleye pollock). Subsequently, production of
Alaska pollock surimi declined and was supplemented by surimi production using other
species.

Two to three million tons of fish from around the world, amounting to 2–3 percent of the
world fisheries' supply, are used for the production of surimi and surimi-based products.
The United States and Japan are major producers of surimi and surimi-based products.
Thailand has become an important producer. China’s role as producer is increasing.
Many newcomers to the surimi industry have emerged,
including Lithuania, Vietnam, Chile, the Faroe Islands, France, and Malaysia.[1]

2
Production[edit]

Crab stick "Kaori-bako"

Lean meat from fish or land animals is first separated or minced. The meat then is rinsed
numerous times to eliminate undesirable odors. The result is beaten and pulverized to
form a gelatinous paste. Depending on the desired texture and flavor of the surimi
product, the gelatinous paste is mixed with differing proportions of additives such
as starch, egg white, salt, vegetable oil, humectants, sorbitol, sugar,soy
protein, seasonings, and enhancers such as transglutaminases and monosodium
glutamate (MSG).

If the surimi is to be packed and frozen, food-grade cryoprotectants are added as

preservatives while the meat paste is being mixed.[2][3]Under most circumstances, surimi
is processed immediately into a formed and cured product.
Fish surimi[edit]

Typically the resulting paste, depending on the type of fish and whether it was rinsed in
the production process, is tasteless and must be flavored artificially. According to
the United States Department of Agriculture National Nutrient Database, fish surimi
contains about 76% water, 15% protein, 6.85% carbohydrate, and 0.9% fat.[4]

In North America and Europe, surimi also alludes to fish-based products manufactured
using this process. A generic term for fish-based surimi in Japanese is "fish-puréed
products" (魚肉練り製品 gyoniku neri seihin).

The fish used to make surimi include:

 Alaska pollock (Theragra chalcogramma)

 Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)
 Big-head pennah croaker (Pennahia macrocephalus[5])
 Bigeyes (Priacanthus arenatus[6])
 Golden threadfin bream (Nemipterus virgatus)

3
 Milkfish (Chanos chanos)
 Pacific whiting (Merluccius productus)
 Various shark species
 Swordfish (Xiphias gladius)
 Tilapia
 Oreochromis mossambicus
 Oreochromis niloticus niloticus
 Black bass
 Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu)
 Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
 Florida black bass (Micropterus floridanus)

Indonesian bakso, a type of food made from cooked beef surimi

Meat surimi[edit]

Although seen less commonly in Japanese and Western markets, pork surimi (肉漿) is a
common product found in a wide array of Chinese foods. The process of making pork
surimi is similar to making fish surimi except that leaner cuts of meat are used and
rinsing is omitted. Pork surimi is made into pork balls (Chinese: gòngwán; 貢丸) which,
when cooked, have a texture similar to fish balls, but are much firmer and denser.

Pork surimi also is mixed with flour and water to make a type of dumpling wrapper called
"yànpí" (燕皮 or 肉燕皮) that has the similar firm and bouncy texture of cooked surimi.

Beef surimi also can be shaped into a ball form to make "beef balls" (牛肉丸). When beef
surimi is mixed with chopped beef tendons and formed into balls, "beef tendon balls"
(牛筋丸) are produced. Both of these products commonly are used in Chinese hot pot as
well as served in Vietnamese "phở". Bakso, made from beef surimi, is a popular
common food found in Indonesia.

4
The surimi process also is used to make turkey products. It is used to make turkey
burgers, turkey sausage, turkey pastrami, turkeyfranks, turkey loafs and turkey salami.

Uses and products[edit]

Japanese satsuma age

Surimi is a useful ingredient for producing various kinds of processed foods. It allows a
manufacturer to imitate the texture and taste of a more expensive product, such
as lobster tail, using a relatively low-cost material. Surimi is an inexpensive source of
protein.

In Asian cultures, surimi is eaten as a food in its own right and seldom used to imitate
other foods. In Japan, fish cakes (kamaboko) and fish sausages, as well as
other extruded fish products, are commonly sold as cured surimi.

In Chinese cuisine, fish surimi, often called "fish paste", is used directly as stuffing or
made into balls. Balls made from lean beef (牛肉丸, lit. "beef ball") and pork surimi often
are seen in Chinese cuisine. Fried, steamed, and boiled surimi products also are found
commonly inSoutheast Asian cuisine.

In the West, surimi products usually are imitation seafood products, such
as crab, abalone, shrimp, calamari, and scallop. Several companies do produce
surimi sausages, luncheon meats, hams, and burgers. Some examples include
Salmolux salmon burgers and SeaPak surimi ham, salami, and rolls. A patent was
issued for the process of making even higher-quality proteins from fish such as in the
making of imitation steak from surimi. Surimi is also used to make kosher imitation
shrimp and crabmeat, using only kosher fish such as pollock.

Chemistry of surimi curing[edit]

The curing of the fish paste is caused by the polymerization of myosin when heated. The
species of fish is the most important factor that affects this curing process.[7] Manypelagic
fish with higher fat contents lack the needed type of heat-curing myosin and are not
used for surimi.

Certain kinds of fish, such as the Pacific whiting, cannot form firm surimi without
additives such as egg white or potato starch. Before the outbreak of bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE, mad cow disease), it was an industrial practice to
add bovine blood plasma into the fish paste to help its curing or gel-forming. Today
some manufacturers may use a transglutaminase to improve the texture of surimi.

5
Although illegal, the practice of adding borax to fish balls and surimi to heighten the
bouncy texture of the fish balls and whiten the product is widespread in Asia. [8]

Japanese satsuma age

List of surimi foods[edit]

 Grilled surimi: Chikuwa
 Steamed surimi: Kamaboko, Crab stick
 Boiled surimi: Hanpen, Tsukune (Tsumire), Fish ball, Bakso, Narutomaki, Yong tau
foo
 Deep fried surimi: Satsuma age (薩摩揚げ?), Fish slice, Ngo hiang, Pempek

References[edit]
1. Jump up^ "World Surimi Market", by Benoit Vidal-Giraud and Denis Chateau, Globefish
Research Programme, Volume 89, April 2007
2. Jump up^ The Making of Surimi (illustrated, in Japanese)
3. Jump up^ The Evolution of the Surimi-Making Process (1961/1970/current) (in
Japanese)
4. Jump up^ "Nutrient data for 15109, Fish, surimi". National Nutrient Database for
Standard Reference. Release 25. United States Department of Agriculture. 9 October
2012. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
5. Jump up^ Pennahia macrocephalus
6. Jump up^ Priacanthus arenatus
7. Jump up^ Thermally induced interactions in fish muscle proteins (Why does surimi form
a gel?)
8. Jump up^ 使用硼砂替代品吃得更安心, 彰化縣衛生局 (Changhua county health bureau),
2008-09-04

Further reading[edit]

6
 Jae W. Park, ed. (2005). Surimi and surimi seafood (2nd ed.). Boca Raton, FL:
Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-0-8247-2649-2.
 Jae W. Park, ed. (2014). Surimi and surimi seafood (3rd ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC
Press. ISBN 978-1-4398-9857-4.

External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons
has media related
to Surimi.

 Oregon State University Surimi Technology School

 Surimi Seafood, Second Edition, published in March 2005
 Surimi and Surimi Seafood, Third Edition, published in 2014
 USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 16-1

Alaska pollock

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Alaska pollock

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Gadiformes
Family: Gadidae
Genus: Gadus
Species: G. chalcogrammus
Binomial name
Gadus chalcogrammus

7
 Pallas, 1814

Synonyms
Theragra chalcogramma (Pallas,
1814)

The Alaska pollock or walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) is a marine fish species of
the cod family Gadidae. It is a semipelagicschooling fish widely distributed in the North
Pacific with largest concentrations found in the eastern Bering Sea.[1]
While belonging to the same family as the Atlantic pollock, the Alaska pollock is not a member of
the same Pollachius genus. Alaska pollock was long put in its own genus Theragra and
classified Theragra chalcogramma, but more recent research has shown it is rather closely
related to the Atlantic cod and should be moved back to genus Gadus in which it was originally
described.[2][3] Furthermore,Norwegian pollock (Theragra finnmarchica), a rare fish of Norwegian
waters, is likely the same species as the Alaska pollock.[2][4]

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Gadiformes
Family: Gadidae
Genus: Gadus
Species: G. morhua
Binomial name
Gadus morhua
Linnaeus, 1758

The Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) is a benthopelagic fish of the family Gadidae,
widely consumed by humans. It is also commerciallyknown as cod or codling.[2][n 1] Dry
cod may be prepared as unsalted stockfish[3][9][n 2] or as cured salt cod or clipfish.[n 3]

In the western Atlantic Ocean, cod has a distribution north of Cape Hatteras, North
Carolina, and around both coasts of Greenland and theLabrador Sea; in the eastern
Atlantic, it is found from the Bay of Biscay north to the Arctic Ocean, including the Baltic
Sea, the North Sea,Sea of the Hebrides,[13] areas around Iceland and the Barents Sea.

The largest individual on record was 6 feet (1.8 m) long and weighed 211 lb (96 kg),
however usually the cod is between 24 inches (61 cm) and 4 feet (1.2 m) long, and

8
weighs 88 lb (40 kg). There is generally no difference in weight or size between sexes of
Atlantic Cod.[14][15]

Atlantic Cod can live for 25 years, and usually attains sexual maturity between ages two
and four,[16] although cod in the northeast Arctic can take as long as eight years to fully
mature.[17] Colouring is brown or green, with spots on the dorsal side, shading to silver
ventrally. A stripe along its lateral line (used to detect vibrations)[18] is clearly visible.
Its habitat ranges from the shoreline down to the continental shelf.

Several cod stocks collapsed in the 1990s (declined by >95% of maximum

historical biomass) and have failed to recover even with the cessation of fishing. [19] This
absence of the apex predator has led to a trophic cascade in many areas.[19] Many other
cod stocks remain at risk. The Atlantic cod is labelled vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species.[20]

Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias

undulatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Superfamily: Percoidea
Family: Sciaenidae
The Sciaenidae are a family of fish commonly called drums or croakers in reference to
the repetitive throbbing or drumming sounds they make. The family includes
the weakfish, and consists of about 275 species in about 70 genera; it belongs to the
orderPerciformes.

They are excellent food and sport fish, and are commonly caught by surf and pier
fishers. Some are important commercial fishery species, notably small yellow
croaker with reported landings of 218,000–407,000 tonnes in 2000–2009; according
to FAO fishery statistics, it was the 25th most important fishery species
worldwide.[2] However, a large proportion of the catch is not reported at species level; in
the FAO fishery statistics, the category "Croakers, drums, not elsewhere included", is the
largest one within sciaenids, with annual landings of 431,000–780,000 tonnes in 2000–

9
2009, most of which were reported from the western Indian Ocean (FAO fishing area 51)
and northwest Pacific (FAO fishing area 61).[2]

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Priacanthidae
Genera
Priacanthus
Pristigenys
Heteropriacanthus
Cookeolus

10
The Priacanthidae, the bigeyes, are a family of 18 species of marine fishes. "Catalufa"
is an alternate common name for some members of the Priacanthidae family.
The etymology of the scientific name (prioo-, to bite + akantha, thorn) refers to the
family's very rough, spined scales. The common name of "bigeye" refers to the member
species' unusually large eyes, suited to their carnivorousand nocturnal lifestyles.
Priacanthidae are typically colored bright red, but some have patterns in silver, dusky
brown, or black. Most species reach a maximum total length of about 30 cm (12 in),
although in a few species lengths of over 50 cm (20 in) are known.

Most members of this family are native to tropical and subtropical parts of the Indian and
Pacific Oceans, but four species (Cookeolus japonicus, Heteropriacanthus
cruentatus, Priacanthus arenatus, and Pristigenys alta) are found in the Atlantic. They
tend to live near rock outcroppings or reefs, although a few are known to inhabit open
waters. Many species are found in relatively deep waters, below depths reachable by
normal scuba diving. Some species are fished for food.

The earliest identified Priacanthidae fossils date to the middle Eocene epoch of the
lower Tertiary period, or roughly 40 to 50 million years ago.

11
Nemipterus virgatus, the golden threadfin bream, is a species of threadfin
bream native to the western Pacific, from southern Japansouth to
northwest Australia including the Arafura Sea. It inhabits areas with mud or sand
substrates and the young can be found at depths from 18 to 33 m (59 to 108 ft) while the
adults can be found down to 220 m (720 ft). This species can reach a length of 35 cm
(14 in), though most are only around 23 cm (9.1 in). It is one of the most important
species of commercial fisheries in the East China Seaand northern South China Sea.[2][3]

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Nemipteridae
Genus: Nemipterus
Species: N. virgatus
Binomial name
Nemipterus virgatus
(Houttuyn, 1782)
Synonyms

12
 Sparus virgatus Houttuyn,
1782
 Synagris virgatus (Houttuyn,
1782)
 Sparus sinensis Lacépède,
1802
 Dentex
setigerus Valenciennes, 1830
 Nemipterus matsubarae D.
S. Jordan & Evermann, 1902
 Cheimarius matsubarae (D.
S. Jordan & Evermann, 1902)
 Dentex matsubarae (D. S.
Jordan & Evermann, 1902)
 Synagris matsubarae (D. S.
Jordan & Evermann, 1902)

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Superorder: Ostariophysi
Order: Gonorynchiformes

13
 Family: Chanidae
Genus: Chanos
Lacépède, 1803
Species: C. chanos
Binomial name
Chanos chanos
(Forsskål, 1775)

The milkfish (Chanos chanos) is the sole living species in

the family Chanidae.[1][2][3] However, there are at least five extinct genera from
the Cretaceous.[3]

The species has many common names. The Hawaiian name for the fish is awa. It is
called bangús in the Philippines, where it is thenational fish. In the Nauruan language, it
is referred to as ibiya. Milkfish is also called "bandeng" or "bolu" in Indonesia.[4]

Consumption[edit]

Philippines grilled bangus (milkfish)

The milkfish is an important seafood in Southeast Asia and some Pacific Islands.
Because milkfish is notorious for being much bonier than other food fish, deboned
milkfish, called "boneless bangús" in the Philippines, has become popular in stores and
markets.

Another popular presentation of milkfish in Indonesia is bandeng duri lunak' (ikan

bandeng is the Indonesian name for milkfish) from Central and East Java. Bandeng
presto is pressure cooked milkfish until the bones are rendered tender. Another way to
prepare milkfish is bandeng asap or smoked milkfish. Either fresh or processed, milkfish
is the popular seafood product of Indonesian fishing towns, such as Juwana
near Semarang in Central Java, and Sidoarjo near Surabaya in East Java.

14
 Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Gadiformes
Family: Merlucciidae
Subfamily: Merlucciinae
Genus: Merluccius
Species: M. productus
Binomial name
Merluccius productus
(Ayres, 1855)
The North Pacific hake, Pacific hake, Pacific whiting, or jack salmon (Merluccius

productus) is a ray-finned fish in the genusMerluccius, found in the northeast Pacific

Ocean from northern Vancouver Island to the northern part of the Gulf of California. It is

a silver-gray fish with black speckling, growing to a length of 90 cm (3 ft). It is

a migratory offshore fish and undergoes a daily vertical migrationfrom the surface to the

seabed at depths down to about 1,000 m (3,300 ft). It is the object of an important

commercial fishery off the West Coast of the United States, and annual quotas are used

to prevent overfishing. An expansion of the range of the Humboldt squid is causing

concern because it is a voracious predator of the North Pacific hake.

15
 Grey reef shark
(Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Infraclass: Euselachii
Superorder: Selachimorpha
Orders
Carcharhiniformes
Heterodontiformes
Hexanchiformes
Lamniformes
Orectolobiformes
Pristiophoriformes
Squaliformes
Squatiniformes
† Cladoselachiformes
† Hybodontiformes
† Symmoriida
† Xenacanthida (Xenacantiformes)
† = extinct
Synonyms
Pleurotremata

Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five

to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, andpectoral fins that are not fused to the
head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimorpha (or Selachii) and
are the sister group to the rays. However, the term "shark" has also been used for
extinct members of the subclass Elasmobranchii outside the Selachimorpha, such
as Cladoselache and Xenacanthus, as well as other Chondrichthyes such as
the holocephalid eugenedontidans. Under this broader definition, the earliest known

16
sharks date back to more than 420 million years ago.[1] Acanthodians are often referred
to as "spiny sharks"; though they are not part of Chondrichthyes proper, they are a
paraphyletic assemblage leading to cartilaginous fish as a whole.

Since then, sharks have diversified into over 500 species. They range in size from the
small dwarf lanternshark (Etmopterus perryi), a deep sea species of only 17 centimetres
(6.7 in) in length, to the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), the largest fish in the world,
which reaches approximately 12 metres (40 ft) in length. Sharks are found in all seas
and are common to depths of 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). They generally do not live in
freshwater although there are a few known exceptions, such as the bull shark and
the river shark, which can survive and be found in both seawater and
freshwater.[2] Sharks have a covering of dermal denticles that protects their skin from
damage and parasites in addition to improving their fluid dynamics. They have
numerous sets of replaceable teeth.[3]

Well-known species such as the great white shark, tiger shark, blue shark, mako shark,
and the hammerhead shark are apex predators—organisms at the top of their
underwater food chain. Many shark populations are threatened by human activities.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Subclass: Neopterygii
Infraclass: Teleostei
Order: Perciformes
Family: Xiphiidae
Genus: Xiphias
Linnaeus, 1758

17
 Species: X. gladius
Binomial name
Xiphias gladius
Linnaeus, 1758

This article is about a type of fish. For other uses, see Swordfish (disambiguation).
Swordfish
Temporal range: 33.9–0 Ma
PreЄ

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[2]

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Subclass: Neopterygii
Infraclass: Teleostei
Order: Perciformes
Family: Xiphiidae
Genus: Xiphias
Linnaeus, 1758
Species: X. gladius
Binomial name
Xiphias gladius
Linnaeus, 1758
Swordfish (Xiphias gladius), also known as broadbills in some countries, are
large, highly migratory, predatory fish characterized by a long, flat bill. They are a
popular sport fish of the billfish category, though elusive. Swordfish are elongated,
round-bodied, and lose all teeth and scales by adulthood. These fish are found widely in
tropical and temperate parts of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, and can typically
be found from near the surface to a depth of 550 m (1,800 ft).[2] They commonly reach
3 m (9.8 ft) in length, and the maximum reported is 4.55 m (14.9 ft) in length and 650 kg
(1,430 lb) in weight.[3][4]

18
They are the sole member of their family, Xiphiidae.[5]

As food[edit]


Marinated swordfish

Fried swordfish collars

Swordfish dish in Kos

Swordfish are classified as oily fish.[19] Many sources, including the United States Food
and Drug Administration, warn about potential toxicity from high levels
of methylmercury in swordfish.[20][21] The FDA recommends that young children, pregnant
women, and women of child-bearing age not eat swordfish. (See mercury in fish for
more details.)

19
The flesh of some swordfish can acquire an orange tint, reportedly from their diet of
shrimp or other prey. Such fish are sold as "pumpkin swordfish", and command a
premium over their whitish counterparts.

Swordfish is a particularly popular fish for cooking. Since swordfish are large animals,
meat is usually sold as steaks, which are often grilled. Swordfish meat is relatively firm,
and can be cooked in ways more fragile types of fish cannot (such as over a grill on
skewers). The color of the flesh varies by diet, with fish caught on the East Coast
of North America often being rosier.

Tilapia (/tᵻˈlɑːpi.ə/ ti-LAH-pee-ə) is the common name for nearly a

hundred species of cichlid fish from the tilapiine cichlid tribe. Tilapia are mainly
freshwater fish inhabiting shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes and less commonly
found living in brackish water. Historically, they have been of major importance in artisan
fishing in Africa and the Middle East, and they are of increasing importance in
aquaculture and aquaponics. Tilapia can become problematicinvasive species in new
warm-water habitats such as Australia,[2] whether deliberately or accidentally introduced,
but generally not in temperate climates due to their inability to survive in cold water.

Tilapia is the fourth most consumed fish in the United States dating back to 2002. The
popularity of tilapia came about due to its cheap price, easy preparation (being that
some can be boneless), and its mild taste. [3]

As food[edit]

20
Escabeche fresh tilapia

Redbelly tilapia, Tilapia zillii ("St. Peter's fish") served in a Tiberiasrestaurant

Whole tilapia fish can be processed[44] into skinless, boneless (Pin-Bone Out, or PBO)
fillets: the yield is from 30 percent to 37 percent, depending on fillet size and final
trim.[45][46]

Tilapia is one of several commercially important aquaculture species

(including trout, barramundi and channel catfish) susceptible to off-flavors. These
'muddy' or 'musty' flavors are normally caused by geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol,
organic products of ubiquitous cyanobacteria that are often present or bloom
sporadically in water bodies and soil.[47] These flavours are no indication of freshness or
safety of the fish, but they make the product unattractive to consumers. Simple quality
control procedures are known to be effective in ensuring the quality of fish entering the
market.

In a freshwater soilless pond system the fish will not have these flavors. Fish raised in
man-made lakes tend to absorb the flavor of the ground.[vague][citation needed] A concrete pond
with plants to clean the water is a much better system. It is also important that the fish
only get fed as much food as they can eat. If the food is left over in the tank it will break
down in the water leaving a bad odor that leads to an unwanted taste in the fish. [citation needed]

Tilapia have very low levels of mercury,[48] as they are fast-growing, lean and short-lived,
with a primarily vegetarian diet, so do not accumulate mercury found in prey. [49] Tilapia

21
are low in saturated fat, calories, carbohydrates and sodium, and are a good protein
source. They also contain the micronutrients phosphorus,niacin, selenium, vitamin
B12 and potassium.[50]

Multiple studies have evaluated the effects of adding flaxseed derivatives (a vegetable
source of omega-3 fatty acids) to the feed of farmed tilapia. These studies have found
both the more common omega-3 fatty acid found in the flax, ALA and the two types
almost unique to animal sources (DHA and EPA), increased in the fish fed this
diet.[51][52] Guided by these findings, tilapia farming techniques could be adjusted to
address the nutritional criticisms directed at the fish while retaining its advantage as an
omnivore capable of feeding on economically and environmentally inexpensive
vegetable protein. Adequate diets for salmon and other carnivorous fish can alternatively
be formulated from protein sources such as soybean, although soy-based diets may
also change in the balance betweenomega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.[53]

Miscellaneous uses[edit]

Tilapia, young and mature, of Tamil Nadu

Tilapia serve as a natural, biological control for most aquatic plant problems. Tilapia
consume floating aquatic plants, such as duckweed watermeal (Lemna sp.), most
"undesirable" submerged plants, and most forms of algae.[54] In the United States and
countries such as Thailand, they are becoming the plant control method of choice,
reducing or eliminating the use of toxic chemicals and heavy metal-based algaecides.

Tilapia rarely compete with other "pond" fish for food. Instead, because they consume
plants and nutrients unused by other fish species and substantially reduce oxygen-
depleting detritus; adding tilapia often increases the population, size and health of other
fish. They are used for zoo ponds as a source of food for birds.

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For example, tilapia can be farmed together with shrimps in a symbiotic manner
positively enhancing the productive output of both.

Arizona stocks tilapia in the canals that serve as the drinking water sources for the cities
of Phoenix, Mesa and others. The fish help purify the water by consuming vegetation
and detritus, greatly reducing purification costs.

Arkansas stocks many public ponds and lakes to help with vegetation control, favoring
tilapia as a robust forage species and for anglers.

In Kenya, tilapia help control mosquitoes which carry malaria parasites. They
consume mosquito larvae, which reduces the numbers of adult females, the
disease’s vector.[55]

In Brazil, tilapia fish skin is being used in a new clinical trial to treat burn injuries. [56][57]

Tilapia also provide an abundant food source for aquatic predators.

Scientific classification

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 Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Centrarchidae
Genus: Micropterus
Lacepede, 1802
Type species
Micropterus dolomieu
Lacepède, 1802

Micropterus is a genus of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (family Centrarchidae)

of order Perciformes. The species of this genus are known as the black basses.

The black basses are sometimes erroneously called black trout, but the name trout more
correctly refers to certain members of the salmon family.

The black basses are distributed throughout a large area east of the Rocky
Mountains in North America, from the Hudson Bay basin in Canada to
northeasternMexico. Several species, notably the Largemouth and Smallmouth basses,
have been very widely introduced throughout the world, and are now
consideredcosmopolitan. Black bass of all species are highly sought-after game fish,
and bass fishing is an extremely popular sport throughout the bass's native range. [citation
needed]
These fish are well known as strong fighters, and their meat is eaten, being quite
edible and firm.

All Micropterus species have a dull-green base coloring with dark patterns on the sides.
Most reach a maximum overall length of 40–60 cm (16–24 in), but some strains of
the largemouth bass have been reported to grow to almost a full meter (just over three
feet) in length.[1]

The male builds a "bed" (nest) in which a female is induced to deposit her eggs and then
fertilizes them. The male continues to guard the eggs and fry until they disperse from the
nest.

Various species have been introduced into freshwater bodies in Japan, where they have
been declared nuisance fish, and subjected to numerous attempts at eradicating them
from local ecosystems.[2]

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