Fish needle edible or not. Black Sea needle fish. Types and habitats of the garfish

Nature has inhabited the earth and sea ​​waters most unusual creatures. The human mind is amazed at the diversity and complexity of organisms that exist on earth.

How many extraordinary representatives sea ​​depths familiar to man. Often people want to tame a piece of nature and keep it close to them. Needlefish is one of the most interesting species living in the depths of the sea and perfectly existing in home aquariums. These aquatic animals deserve to get to know them better. What a needle fish looks like, where it lives, how it breeds, you will learn from this article.

habitats

Needlefish belongs to the needle family and lives mainly in the Black, Azov, Aral, Caspian and Baltic Seas. Scientists distinguish two types of these fish: serpentine and ordinary. The former are characterized by a very thin and long body, as well as the absence of caudal and pectoral fins. Common needlefish have fins. Among this species, subspecies are distinguished: thick-nosed and thin-nosed representatives.

Most close relative- sea Horse. Some subspecies can cling to grass and algae with their tails during strong currents.

Needlefish hunt in a flock small fish that float closer to the surface of the water. Quite often, representatives of the igloos jump out of the water into the moonlight at night. But also sometimes the fish have to go deeper in order to get their own plankton.

Appearance

The needle fish of the sea is very thin and relatively long. Because of the similarity with the object of the same name, these aquatic animals got their name. Often they are compared with a hexagonal pencil. They move vertically, which gives them additional advantages in camouflage among algae. Nature gave these fish a very colorful color, matching the algae and corals, so that they could hide from the eyes of predators. By the way, their color, like that of chameleons, adapts to the environment.

The entire long body of the fish consists of bony plates, usually hexagonal. But there are subspecies in which hexagonal plates smoothly turn into tetrahedral ones.

The muzzle is elongated and occupies a significant part of the head. The mouth of these fish is small, in the form of a tube. They suck up food like a vacuum cleaner. The eyes can look in different directions at the same time.

The needlefish has a greenish-brown or reddish-brown color, which may vary slightly depending on environment.

These little ones grow rather slowly, their age limit is 6 years. A one-year-old fish is considered an adult and is ready to reproduce offspring.

reproduction

The process of reproduction of these inhabitants of the deep sea is very unusual and interesting. Nature obliges the male to bear offspring. In the process of ritual courtship, the female transfers the eggs to the male in the “bag”, which is located in the abdominal cavity, closer to the tail. When transferred, the eggs are fertilized. About a hundred eggs are placed in the bag, and this amount can accumulate from different females. It is fair to say that the male independently chooses whose eggs to accept and which not. In one season, the female can lay three portions of caviar.

Nutrients pass from the father to the eggs through the blood vessels. In the bag, the male carries the eggs until the fry appear. So that they can go outside, the needle fish bends in an arc and opens the "chamber". But if danger arises, the fry can again find protection in the father's pouch.

Needlefish are very friendly to humans and absolutely do not consider them an enemy. Often in home aquariums you can see these representatives of the fauna.

If you have a desire to get such a fish, you should remember some features of its content:

1. It moves vertically, so the aquarium should not be small or low. The optimal volume is 300 liters.
2. If you are interested in the offspring of these amazing fish, you need to purchase a pair.
3. This fish is a predator, so the aquarium neighbors should not be smaller in size, otherwise they will turn into food.
4. It is recommended to put sand at the bottom of the aquarium, and the presence of algae and stones will not interfere.
5. At least a third of the volume of water should be changed weekly, the fish tolerate fresh water well, so no additional sophistication is needed.
6. During the period of bearing offspring, you should especially carefully monitor the food of fish.

Economic importance

There are enough representatives of the needle family in the Russian seas. The Black Sea needlefish is the most common. It is also called Italian or small needle fish. The longest representatives live in the waters of the Black Sea, their body size reaches 23 centimeters. But it is not of particular interest: it does not go to human food, and there is also better bait for fishing. Most often, tourists take it away as a souvenir or trophy. Due to its slowness and desire to be closer to people, it often falls into the hands of vacationers.

Today there is a significant desalination of needle fish. And although there are 120 types of needles, not so long ago, thin-nosed and thick-nosed were included in the Red Book.

Such kinship introduced one peculiarity into the process of reproduction of these fish - the male goes “pregnant” with them. In addition, he can choose whose eggs he will hatch, and whose - not.

Sea needles live in tropical and temperate seas, including the Black Sea.

This small fish is somewhat reminiscent of a snake or a stick. She has long and subtle body, which is covered with a shell with bony trunk rings.

The length of their body can be different - from 2.5 to 30 centimeters. It all depends on the type of fish.

They don't swim very well. Like seahorses, some species have a prehensile tail that they use to grab onto plants to avoid being swept away by the current.

The muzzle of the marine needle is very elongated and occupies more than half the length of the head. At its end is a small, toothless mouth. Therefore, they suck their food along with water.

The needles feed on small fish and plankton, for which sometimes they have to descend to a depth of 90 meters. But most often the fish stay at a depth of no more than 10 meters, among the vegetation of coral reefs and stones.

Their almost vertical swimming provides good camouflage for algae. In addition, the color easily changes depending on the environment: brown, bright green, red, purple, speckled gray, etc. This allows the fish to remain undetected by enemies.

They have a very unusual process of reproduction. Like the next of kin seahorses- offspring at the sea needle bears the male. He has a special brood pouch, which is a pouch between two folds on the abdomen.

Spawning at the sea needle begins in spring and continues all summer. The male takes eggs from several females for the entire period. Although some types of saltwater pipefish are monogamous and "remain faithful" to only one female. Though it pleases. But most often, females lay eggs in several partners, because. this increases the chances of juvenile survival.

A male's pouch can hold up to 1500 eggs. The gestation period lasts about a month. After that, miniature copies of their parents come out of the bag, and an independent life begins. But paternal care is also manifested after the hatching of the fry. For some time, the male continues to carry them in his bag. When he arches his belly up, the bag opens and the kids go for a walk. In case of danger, the fry quickly climb back.

But that is not all. Earlier this year, biologists at the University of Texas found that the male can get rid of unwanted "pregnancies." It can regulate the survival rate of embryos by choosing the most promising and attractive female eggs. Then the possibility of hatching into the light of fry from the strongest and healthiest female increases. The process of survival, nothing more.

Long-snouted needlefish (Syngnathus typhle) keeps everywhere near the coast of the Black Sea and in the Sea of ​​Azov. The main form of this species is distributed along the coast. Western Europe, enters the Baltic Sea to the Gulf of Finland. The long-snouted needlefish got its name from its long, laterally compressed and high snout, rounded along the leading edge where a small, toothless mouth fits. The body of the needle-fish is long and low, completely covered with bony scutes. Pelvic fins no, the anal is very small, in males it is sometimes not noticeable from the outside. Dorsal fin one pectoral fins and tail are small. The color is green or brown-reddish, usually with black stripes and spots. This fish reaches a length of 37 cm.

The long-snouted pipefish is the most widespread European species of sea pipefish. She lives on east coast Atlantic from Norway to Morocco, near the British Isles, in the Baltic, Mediterranean, Black and Seas of Azov, we are common along the entire coast of the Black Sea and in the Sea of ​​\u200b\u200bAzov.

The needle-fish usually keeps near the coast, mainly in thickets of underwater vegetation, among rocks and stones overgrown with algae. Depending on the environment, the coloration also changes, masking the sea needle in its shelter. Most often, this fish is found to a depth of 10-12 meters, but sometimes it also comes across in the open sea. The needle-fish also approaches the mouths of the rivers, sometimes meeting even in fresh water. It feeds on small crustaceans, fish fry, and sometimes very small adult fish. During feeding, the tubular snout acts like a pipette: with a sharp swelling of the cheeks, the prey is quickly drawn into the mouth from a distance of up to 4 centimeters.

Spawning of the long-snouted needle-fish in the Black Sea takes place in April-July. The reproduction process of all marine needles is very complex. The male on the ventral side of the body in the tail region has a special brood chamber for eggs, formed by two folds of skin on the sides of the body. These folds are bent over the belly and cover the eggs. After ritual courtship, the female wraps herself around her partner and lays eggs in his brood chamber, while the eggs are fertilized. The edges of the fold converge, forming a bag about 1/3 of the entire length of the fish. About 100 eggs fit in such a bag.

The male bears eggs until the fry hatch, for some time he carries them in his bag. In order for the fry to leave the brood chamber, the male bends the body in an upward arc and thus opens the bag. In case of danger, the fry again hide under the protection of a caring father. None economic importance this species, like all other marine needles, does not.

The largest of the sea needles found in the Black and Azov Seas - the common needle-fish (Syngnathus acus) reaches a length of 46 cm. This fish is distributed along the coast of Europe from Norway to Morocco, lives off the British Isles and in the Mediterranean Sea, but is absent in the waters of the Baltic, keeps in coastal and pre-estuary spaces at a depth of 90 meters or more, common among algae thickets. It often has dark transverse stripes on its body and tail.

The Black Sea chubby-cheeked needle-fish (S, abaster) noticeably differs from all the Black Sea-Azov marine needles in its short cylindrical snout (in the literature it is sometimes referred to as S. nigrolineatus). This species is common along the coast. southern Europe and the northern coast of Africa, we are found in the Black, Azov and Caspian Seas at depths of up to 5 meters, above a sandy or muddy bottom among detritus or aquatic vegetation, enters rivers and lakes, penetrated into the Volga reservoirs. It reaches a length of 21 cm.

A narrower area of ​​​​distribution has a thin-nosed needle-fish (S. tenuirostris), inhabiting the Black, Azov and Adriatic Sea. This is a rather large sea needle, reaching a length of 38.6 cm; it does not enter desalinated waters. Only in the Black and Azov Seas are there a small (up to 11 cm long) Black Sea spiny needle (S. schmidti), which usually lives in the open sea at depths of up to 50-70 meters, and reaches a length of 30 cm thick-nosed, or striped needle-fish ( S. variegatus), living in coastal marine thickets. In the Sea of ​​Japan, we have a close species - the seaside needle (S. acusimilis), which enters the mouths of the rivers.

Along the east Atlantic coast from Norway to North Africa, in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, a serpentine needle, or sea awl (Nerophis ophidion), is common. The brood chamber in males of this species is open, not protected by skin folds, and the eggs are attached directly to the belly. The serpentine needle has a long, thin body; adults lack pectoral, anal, and caudal fins. Usually yellowish-gray or yellowish-green with brown dots, by the time of spawning it is covered with blue stripes and spots. In our country, this species is found off the coast in the Baltic (including the Gulf of Finland), the Black and Azov Seas, sometimes it enters the mouths of rivers.

In salty seas and oceans, as well as freshwater reservoirs, you can find very interesting fish, with a long and thin as a needle torso, and an elongated muzzle. Her body is covered with bone plates that look like a hexagon. The head is decorated with a small comb. Color can be completely different, and depends on the habitat. There are individuals of brown-green and red-brown colors, with many light transverse stripes. This is a fish - a needle, which can be a little more than 20 cm long and weighs 5 kg. Its life expectancy is 5 years.

Needle fish prefers shallow areas with lush vegetation. Pipefish, during the spawning period, can enter freshwater reservoirs. It is found in the same Dnieper, moreover, at a considerable distance from the sea. Freshwater fish do not change their habitat, and are constantly in the same reservoir. The needle feeds on bottom larvae, worms, crustaceans, plankton, and small fish. Her fry consume only plankton. The eyesight of the fish is very good, which helps it to quickly find food.

Spawns from May to June. During mating season the female lays her eggs on seaweed, but in the bag of the male, which is located on his tail. This is where fertilization takes place. In total, no more than 100 eggs are laid. At the same time, eggs from different females can be simultaneously in the male's bag. In total, during the mating season, the female can lay three portions of eggs, each with 20 eggs.

The eggs in the male's pouch do not come into contact with external environment. The nutrition of the embryos is carried out at the expense of its blood. Fish larvae - needles are in the male's bag until August. After this period, the placenta with fry is separated from the bag and enters the water.

Needle fish can be found in the Black, Caspian, Azov Seas. Its dwarf form lives in salty bays. On the Volga, Dnieper and Terek occurs freshwater needle. There is also in the Kuibyshev reservoir. Maybe, freshwater fish fall into large reservoirs from the lower reaches of the rivers. This fact is confirmed by the fact that the needle appeared in the reservoirs of the Kuban.

The fish has no nutritional value. Its natural enemies are predatory fish.

For this dish, you can use any juicy vegetables to your liking.

You can separate the fish fillet from the bones and head before serving, and put it on portioned plates along with the vegetables that were baked with the fish.

How to cook fish needle in cheese breading

Instead of the usual breading, this recipe uses cheese with herbs. You can also add a little lemon zest to the cheese for flavor.

Products:

• fish - 1 pc.;
• hard cheese - 100-200 g;
• parsley - 3 sprigs;
• ground black pepper - 2 g;
• olive oil - 40 ml;
• lemon - 1 pc.;
• salt - 5 g.

Cooking

1. Cut off the head and tail of a small garfish, peeled from scales and entrails. Cut into 2 pieces lengthwise to make 2 fish fillets.
2. Grate cheese and mix with chopped parsley.
3. Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Roll the fish in the grated parsley cheese and place in a dry, hot skillet. Keep on the stove for two minutes, and then bake in the oven under the grill for 5 minutes.
5. Sprinkle the finished fish with lemon juice.

Fish with elongated toothy jaws, similar to a needle, are very tasty. You can bake it in the oven with vegetables or cook it in cheese breading.

Description of the fish

The needle fish that lives in the Black, Azov and other seas is inedible. Its color is green, yellowish-gray or brown-red with black spots and stripes. This fish belongs to the Needle family, which also includes Sea Horses. She has a small toothless mouth, which is located on a long narrow snout, for which she got her name. It looks like an ordinary garfish - it's a completely different sea ​​fish from the Sargan family.

The garfish has very tasty juicy meat that can be baked, fried, boiled, cleaned of scales and entrails before cooking. Interestingly, his bones have a greenish tint due to the high content of a special harmless pigment.