Bonito fish is a fish species called Scombridae family in Latin Sarda Sarda. This fish is known for its delicious meat and healthy nutritional values. In this article, you will learn about the characteristics, nutritional values and how to cook Bonito fish.
The bonito is a medium-sized fish with sharp teeth. Its back is blue or greenish-blue, and its underside is silver. This type of fish has a fatty meat similar to other pelagic fish and is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Its body structure resembling a torpedo allows it to move quickly in water. It has a black stripe on its body that starts from its head and goes down to its tail. Above this black area are horizontal stripes of blue and green tones. These lines disappear towards the abdomen. Bonito fish has two fins, one large and one small, on its back.
bonito, sardine, squid, anchovy, mackerel and It feeds on other small fish.
The most fertile spawning period is after 2 years of age, the bonito lays eggs between May and July. An adult female can lay between 80,000 and 2 million eggs per year.
Acorn fish weighs 500 - 600 grams on average. However, there are smaller or larger sizes known by different names. The biggest Bonito on record was caught off the Azores Islands in the Atlantic Ocean in 1953 and its weight is 8.3 kg.
Where Do Bonito Live?
Bonito prefer warm, warm waters and are particularly abundant in the Mediterranean. It comes to the Black Sea to spawn and returns to the Mediterranean in the spring. Bonito is a fish that travels in flocks and makes long-distance migrations. The deepest place where bonito fish is detected is 200 meters.
Nutritional Values of Bonito Fish
Bonito fish provides important nutritional values for a healthy diet. Bonito is a fish rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. It is also an ideal option for those who control weight, as it is a low-calorie food. Omega-3 fatty acids help heart health, while minerals such as iron and potassium are important for bodily functions.
The Taste of Bonito Fish and Cooking Methods
Bonito fish is a type of fish that is loved by many people because of its flavor. There are several different methods for cooking bonito fish. It can be cooked on the grill, in the oven or in a pan. To grill, marinate the fish and then grill it on the hot grill. If you want to bake it in the oven, coat the fish with spices and then bake in the oven at 180 degrees. Fry the fish with olive oil and seasonings to cook in the pan.
How to Hunt Bonito?
Bonito fish can be caught by both amateur and professional fishermen. However, today, due to the decrease in fish population, bonito fishing from the coast has decreased to almost non-existence. However, small boats and bonito fishing with anchor in shallow waters can give good prey.
From mid-August in the Black Sea amateur fishermen can fish for gypsy bonito with fishing rods. After the end of the fishing ban in our country, it starts to be caught by professional fishermen and can be kept until the end of December. In May-June, it is possible to hunt bonito on the Aegean coasts. Bonito fish caught in the Marmara and Black Sea, especially in the Bosphorus and its vicinity, is more delicious and oily than those caught in the Aegean and Mediterranean.
The countries where the most bonito is caught in the world are Turkey and Mexico. In our country, approximately 18 thousand tons of bonito was caught in 2004. However, bonito fish is one of the endangered species due to non-compliance with hunting bans and sizes.
It is also known that the fish species called toric is a unique fish species. However, due to the similarity of these two fish species, the larger bonito is also called toric among the people.
An adult bonito and juvenile tuna are similar and can be confused with each other by uninformed people. This situation is used by malicious fishermen and tuna pup, whose meat is worthless, is sold as bonito.
We hope this article helped you learn everything you wanted to know about bonito fish.
