Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with fish

Could you pick these fish out of a lineup?

orrnyereg — Sun, 19 May 2013 17:29:28 -0800

I'm trying to identify these fish. Any tropical fish experts out there? I spotted these fish a couple of weeks ago and would like to know what they are. Sorry the video is pretty poor quality.

The specs: quite small, about 1 inch long. The bodies are translucent white. The tips of the fins are black, with a bit of yellow on the outside of the tail fins. There were about a dozen of them in the group.

The setting: Vanuatu, a lagoon just off the Pacific/Coral Sea. Mangroves nearby but no coral reefs.

Sound familiar?

Fresh catch vs sushi

FireStyle — Fri, 03 May 2013 07:58:41 -0800

simple question: what is the difference between catching a fish directly out of the water and eating it verses eating sushi grade fish.I would think because they are both fresh it should be perfectly safe to eat. Thoughts?

Have rods, tackle & permit, will travel near Seattle.

halogen — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:37:43 -0800

I just acquired a couple of light-duty (i.e. inappropriate for river salmon) fishing rods, I've received a primer in selecting tackle and setting everything up, I know my knots, I've got my permits and a Discover Pass, and my cooler is ready for some fresh catch. Where, within a 40 minutes' drive of Seattle, can I go catch delicious fish that I can cook and eat? Any recommendations for location-specific books or other resources geared toward an absolute beginner who is more enthusiastic about the food than the sport? I live near I-90 at I-5, a few blocks from the lake but am not so sure about all the sewage and pollution warning signs at the docks that are within walking distance – and I take my dog there daily but I've never seen any people fishing.

Smelt anxiety: can I eat this?

Surprised By Bees — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:12:19 -0800

I was pickling smelts. First step: brine overnight, rinse. Second step, immerse in vinegar, put in fridge and wait a week to eat. I did step one, but then got interrupted. The brined, rinsed smelts sat out for about ninety minutes - maybe as long as two hours - in a room that was about seventy degrees. I finished step two, but now I am afraid to eat them. I thought due to the brining it might be OK. Can I eat it?

Small fish: whole vs "whole"

curious nu — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:13:46 -0800

I'd been under the impression for many years that it was fine to cook and eat small (finger length-ish) fish whole; head, tail, AND guts. I can find a few articles on line supporting this, but they all use a different size standard, and there are virtually NO recipes I can find that suggest this practice. The recipes say they're for (e.g.) whole smelt, but the first step always involves gutting/cleaning them, which is a slightly different definition of whole than I thought. I've found three articles, and they all use different sizes; one said 6 inches and under, one 4 inches and under, and one 2 inches and under. Pretty much every recipe I've found for whole fried small fish involves cleaning (so.. not exactly whole).

The questions are:

1) When is it okay to eat fish guts? Particular sizes, cooking method, both, other?
2) Why is it not okay to eat fish guts? (food poisoning obviously, but I'm curious as to the particular beasties)

Buttery, crispy, golden fish?

Ollie — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 08:15:02 -0800

Is there a secret to a perfect piece of fried (but non-breaded) fish? I bought cod, as I often do, and what I want is a fish that is fried golden and buttery and COMES OUT OF THE PAN IN ONE PIECE.

Whenever I fry cod, I heat up my cast-iron pan with butter, or butter and olive oil, and then put the fish in. It usually sticks to the pan. Flipping it breaks it into pieces. I end up with fried fish hash. Not buttery, not a little crispy along the edges, just a pile of fish hash. Any ideas? (We don't use breading because we're gluten free.) I'm not a great cook so don't be afraid to talk down to me.

I've seen this question, as well as others, but those are not exactly my problems.

An Aquarium without Electricity

ethidda — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 10:37:28 -0800

I love fish. I don't like buying electric components and spending the money on electricity to maintain a fish tank. I am also slightly paranoid about mixing water with electricity. So I'd like advice/stories/speculation on setting up an aesthetically pleasing aquarium without using electricity at all. Realistically, I'll be living in an apartment, and looking for a 0.5 to 12 gallon aquarium, but I'm interested in stories of aquariums elsewhere and/or in other situations. Experience: I have some experience keeping fish, from a beta fish in a 1/4 gallon tank to 50 gallon setups of angelfish and goldfish (in separate aquariums, of course!). I have kept a ghost knife fish, which I really liked, but it did not survive my one week long vacation. I've kept salt water shrimps, but no salt water fish. (It was my attempt at a nano tank.) So assume that I know the basics of cycling, schooling fish, community fish, etc, but not the more advanced stuff.

Location: Like I said, an apartment. With two cats. The apartment should never get below 55 degrees, but I don't want to promise more than that. There is a south facing window.

Budget: Let's say up to $300 for the entire setup? (Including fish.) I have nothing right now.

Things I've briefly looked into: I'm okay with getting a beta fish again, though I would want the beta fish to be healthy. Something like the NoClean Aquariums satisfies my sensibilities. or maybe something like this and then I can grow basil or something.

If there were no constraints, I would try to either keep another ghost knife fish, try to breed discus fish, or try to keep puffer fish. But I don't want to spend that much time taking care of the aquarium. I prefer a planted tank.

fish tank care and feeding

dpx.mfx — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:07:04 -0800

My daughter (she's 3, so, really, her parents) received a 10 gallon fish tank for Christmas. I know nothing about fish. It is currently set up with gravel and plastic plants, a filter (that sits on the outside and actually filters the water out of the tank I guess?) and a heater. We have 8 fish - 4 neons, two gold crescent platy and two red minor serpae. Evidently the woman at the fish store said in a month we should also get something that eats algae. We have fish food. We have a net. We had some stuff that makes the water fish friendly, but only a sample size.

the fish have been alive for 3 hours so far.

What should I know? what do we need to do, aside from feeding the fish twice a day? How do we clean the tank? Add water?Treat the water? Do we clean the gravel? Seriously - there were no instructions. I will try to get to the fish store and pick the brain of the lady there but it might be a while, and googling brings up tons and tons of sites but I can't sort the wheat from the chaff.

Thanks!

Fish dish

elizeh — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 13:03:37 -0800

Need suggestions for seafood entrees that will hold up well (not get rubbery or slimy or unsafe) for a couple of hours on a buffet table. Soups/stews OK--we'll have access to a crock pot.

Did you start eating meat?

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 12:17:34 -0800

My parents raised me to be a vegetarian. Now one of them isn't anymore. From the very beginning I was taught that eating animals was cruel and unhealthy. I took to it easily, made it part of my identity and never questioned it. I'm in my mid-twenties now and I've never had a bite of meat.

A few years ago I went on a trip with my mother and nearly had my eyes pop out of my sockets when I saw her joyfully dig in to a freshly caught fish.

I've never truly been able to reconcile that with the values instilled in me as a child. Initially I was, why is she eating that poor fish? Later, why did she raise me not to? How could she change her mind?

She started craving it and felt it was good for her. Healthy, check.
The fish had a good life. It's what people have always done here. Humane, check.

Simple.

She was always the more moderate parent. She would have the occasional glass of wine, while my father would never drink a drop. I decided early on that I like wine.

I started thinking about something uncomfortable. Maybe I should try eating wild fish? And if wild fish then maybe properly raised and pastured cows? And goats? Maybe eating meat in moderation isn't all that bad? After all, that's what my grandparents and their grandparents' grandparents did.

These are difficult questions for me. My parents taught me to use reason and always think critically (at least about everything else) but it's incredibly hard to question convictions that I've held all my life. It doesn't help that my dad is so vocal about his disapproval of people that eat animals.

Has anyone here been in a similar situation? Did you start eating meat? Just fish? Is it possible to only eat humanely raised meat? Is it even ethical?

Sorry for the rambling nature of this "question". I'm just looking for some insights, ideas and anecdotes after exhausting some of the literature on the subject and thinking that both sides, Singer/Foer (Animal Liberation/Eating Animals) and Pollan (Omnivore's Dilemma) make sense.

This part of Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography captures my feelings pretty well, especially the last sentence...

"I believe I have omitted mentioning that in my first Voyage from Boston, being becalm'd off Block Island, our People set about catching Cod and hawl'd up a great many. Hitherto I had stuck to my Resolution of not eating animal Food; and on this Occasion, I consider'd with my Master Tryon, the taking every Fish as a kind of unprovok'd Murder, since none of them had or ever could do us any Injury that might justify the Slaughter. All this seem'd very reasonable. But I had formerly been a great Lover of Fish, and when this came hot out of the Frying Pan, it smelt admirably well. I balanc'd some time between Principle and Inclination: till I recollected, that when the Fish were opened, I saw smaller Fish taken out of their Stomachs: Then thought I, if you eat one another, I don't see why we mayn't eat you. So I din'd upon Cod very heartily and continu'd to eat with other People, returning only now and than occasionally to a vegetable Diet. So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for every thing one has a mind to do."

Plump, Happy Seal seeks High-Class Tinned Fish!

fritillary — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 15:48:09 -0800

Kippers, anchovies, sardines... hook me up with a barrel of snacking fishes! I'm completely in love with little fishes. I want to stuff my fat face on the daily! But tins of the good stuff are so expensive-- it's starting to cut into my espresso budget. Where can I buy or order preserved fishes in bulk?

I live in Portland, OR and have no refrigerator, so I need a shelf-stable solution.

New Betta Bin...

melangell — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 11:37:21 -0800

Betta filter: I just bought my betta a new tank and have some water/food questions. Last night, I broke the large bowl my betta had been living in while cleaning it (oops!), so we decided it was the perfect opportunity to get him a better home. We bought him a 5.5 gallon tank that came with a filter. We also got him a heater, which was great since the winters are cold here.

A packet of Top Fin color-enhancing tropical flakes came with the tank. Are these safe for my betta? (I usually feed him a betta pellet or a couple dried blood worms.)

Also, I have heard tht bettas like still waters. The filter is great and silent, but does create a slight current. Is it OK to just run the filter every other day or so?

Finally, now that my betta has lots more room, are there any options for other fish that would be safe to add to his environment?

Thank you, Mefi friends.

Happy Holidays!

FISH IN SPAAAAAACE!

stuck on an island — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:46:24 -0800

Work in my office has ground to a halt over this question about the physics of fish in space. So there are fish on the International Space Station. Further to this comical/distressing video about cats in space and these videos about the behavior of water in zero gravity, the question is this.

Say you're in a zero-gravity environment suitable for the survival of humans. You have a fish swimming in a bag/balloon full of water. You then pop the balloon, releasing the water to float freely as a single body. Without the normal constraints of gravity, would the fish be able to swim out of the sphere of water into the air, thus accidentally "drowning" itself?

Convert this quick cut-shot filled video to an actual recipe

Lucubrator — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 19:03:42 -0800

I absolutely love this recipe by Gordon Ramsay but need to know the actual proportions to use, a good side-dish, an alternative to brill and a wine recommendation (both to use for cooking and to pair with the dish)

Help me do barra better

jojobobo — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 01:53:26 -0800

Cooking barramundi- your retrospective help please? I pan fried some 'barramundi' tonight and it was pretty bad. I use quotations marks because it was from Safeway (I'm in Melbourne, Australia) and apparently barramundi is sometimes actually Nile perch. I know that wild barramundi is better and that it is not normally what is sold in supermarkets, and that non-supermarket fish is preferable. All this aside:
- the fish tasted kind of plastic-y/slippery in texture. Did I overcook it or is this just how barramundi of this kind is?
- should I try again and cook differently or not bother?
I am stuck in a salmon/flake/flathead rut. I would like to move on...but I have a low threshold for fish cooking on a weeknight. I don't want anything that I have to shop around for or do an elaborate sauce for.

Advice appreciated!

Fish tacos: Intersection of quality and ocean proximity in San Diego

otherwordlyglow — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:21:57 -0800

Best fish tacos closest to the ocean in San Diego? We want fish tacos tonight. We're staying in San Diego near Balboa Park (I think we're in University Heights) and have a car but would prefer not to travel too far south or north and want to enjoy the tacos within sight of the ocean. Where should we go?

I would probably just eat albacore for every meal if I didn't think it would kill me

NoraReed — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 16:57:39 -0800

I eat a lot of fish. Since I took over dinner duties for myself and my SO, I've been thinking about the health risks and environmental impact of the stuff we eat. I need some help figuring out the risks of stuff like mercury and the environmental impact of fishing, particularly as compared to eating chicken and pork, which are our other main meat sources. We get our fish from Trader Joe's and most of the stuff that we've gotten there has been wild-caught, not factory raised, which I know is generally healthier. I'm a bit worried about mercury poisoning, though. Most of the information I've found on mercury in fish has been in regards to children/pregnant women/women who might get pregnant soon, and since neither of us is any of those things, we're not sure what, exactly, is safe.

As far as environmental impact is concerned, we would probably be substituting chicken for fish if we were to cut back on fish (maybe we'd use tofu or textured vegetable protein stuff about once a week, but most likely no more than that), so it's not a fish vs. no fish question so much as a fish vs. other options question.

I would especially appreciate something like a chart of how much I could eat of each kind of seafood, or comparisons of types-- how many oz of crab I could eat instead of 1 oz of albacore, stuff like that.

What kind of upsidedown fish wants to eat my skin?

abirdinthehand — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 15:35:30 -0800

What was this weird up-side-down swimming fish in miami? Possibly a 'cleaner fish'? Unfortunately I do not have a picture, but this fish's behavior was so specific I figure someone may know it just based on that, although the internet has failed me so far.

I saw this fish when I was snorkeling around key biscayne in shallow water. This fish was about 4 or 5 inches long, tip to tail. It was approximately an inch wide, not including the fins. It's body was pretty even, from the head to the tail almost equally wide, with short little fluttering fins near it's head. Sorry I don't know fishes, so I'm not sure what is helpful or how to really describe this!

It appeared to exclusively swim upside down. The side facing up(which looked like the bottom) appeared flat and silverish with the mouth visible. I couldn't see the other side much, but it appeared to be black and maybe had a light stripe.

This fish either wanted to eat my dead skin-- or I don't know what!

At first I was curious, but then as the fish behaved more aggressively in it's pursuit. It kinda freaked me out, even though it's so little. So I started swimming very fast thinking I could just lose the little guy. I would sort of sprint away, then after some distance stop and think- whew it's gone, then suddenly it would appear alongside my ribcage, as though it had been swimming with me on my back or something. I did this a few times, to no avail, finally i just went to shore. Once I was about to exit the water, there the fish was just kind of hanging around my ankles, waiting for me. This is a very persistent fish!

I have never seen a fish behave like this, is this some kind of 'cleaner' fish? If it's impossible to identify from my terrible description, please point me to any relevant resources!

Get in my belly, bacteria filled fishcake.

whalebreath — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:43:51 -0800

Can I eat these fishcakes? My roommate made fishcakes last night (around 7 pm, 23 hours ago), and a tray of them was left in the over overnight. They are made with cod and various vegetables, if it matters.
Normally I would not question this, would just reach for the tartar sauce, but my roommate is convinced that this is not okay.
We don't have a microwave, so though I've looked through the (many) previous related ASkMes, I can't just nuke the crap out of them until the bacteria die.
They were well cooked. Please can I eat them?

Easy salmon recipes please.

Kimberly — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 10:40:15 -0800

Please give me your tastiest, go-to salmon recipe worthy of serving company. We're having guests with limited diets and we don't cook fish much. Our local fishmonger is having a sale on King Salmon and we'd like to make a nice dish. The only requirements I have are that it be relatively uncomplicated for someone who doesn't really cook fish much and that it's not a pasta dish (because a family member just won't eat pasta unless it's traditional spaghetti with marinara). There are members of the family who are big tartar sauce people so maybe something that has a sauce as well (although it doesn't necessarily have to be tartar sauce)?

How do I de-stink my cast iron pan?

maryrussell — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 13:06:46 -0800

I need advice on cleaning a seasoned cast iron skillet: how to remove lingering odor without damaging the pan. I cooked some salmon in my cast iron frying pan. (Mark Bittman told me to!) Afterwards I cleaned it well with hot water and a scrubby sponge, and even scrubbed it out a bit with salt. It looks clean but has a distinct fishy aroma. I haven't cooked anything else in it yet; suprisingly, there's little in my fridge that seems like it could use a touch of old salmon.

I haven't washed the pan with soap, because I don't want to screw up the seasoning. I've thought of heating up another fat (like bacon grease) in the pan; would that absorb the smell?

advice welcomed! (also, at least the salmon was delicious).

What Bird Did I See?

justcorbly — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 11:10:27 -0800

Need help identifying a bird I saw today. I was driving along Jordan Lake, near Chapel Hill, NC. A large bird flying over the lake folded its wings in slightly, and glided down, in a slight partial spiral, to the lake surface and grabbed a fish. I'd guess I was about 200 feet away. I've seen eagles and osprey at the lake. This bird was that size, with a very large wingspan. Coloring: Appeared black; may have been dark brown. Markings: White on the trailing underside of the wings, at least one-half the width of the wing, beginning at the body and continuing approx. 80 percent of the way to the wing tip. I didn't notice any other markings.

I have a terrific recipe to marinate Mahi for fish tacos. Can this be used to make a tofu/tempeh version with much success?

Senor Cardgage — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 10:57:33 -0800

I have a terrific recipe to marinate Mahi for fish tacos. Can this be used to make a tofu/tempeh version with much success? We are going to have friends over for a JAWS party and are making some lovely Mahi tacos. I have a really great recipe for a marinade thats basically just lime juice, ancho chili powder, garlic and oil and it works wonders, but Id also like to give our veggie friends the option of tofu or tempeh tacos using the same marinade (different bowl tho, obvs)

Difficulty: Ive never cooked with tofu and know little to nothing about how it plays in other recipes. A friend suggested maybe "pressing" the tofu and trying it that way.

Any insights?

How does the ocean biome collapse?

Meatbomb — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 06:02:24 -0800

I have a very broad question about the expected collapse of the ocean biome, and a bunch of related detail questions. So first, the general question. I am kind of assuming that based on climate change, collapse of the coral reefs, overfishing, etc etc., that some time soonish the ocean biome is going to collapse. Where can I find resources online that outline how scientists / biologists project that this will play out?

If you are someone with specialized knowledge in this area - marine biologist, climatologist, ecologist, etc. - I'd like to hear your own prognosis and opinion for how this will play out, as well. Specifically:

Once it starts, does it snowball very rapidly? What is very rapidly? Does it go from plenty of fish to empty desert in a couple years? A couple decades?

What comes after? Does the ocean change chemically or temperature wise in such a way that fish life is completely wiped out? Or is it just that the carrying capacity is much reduced, and there are fewer / hardier species of fish?

Are there dramatic waves of change? Like for example, a few years of massive algae blooms that choke the oceans of O2, or some other species like jellyfish completely take over?

Do sea plants / seaweed survive in any numbers?

Does it eventually reach some new equilibrium, with a new ecosystem establishing itself? Or is the more likely case complete dieout?

Do you project anything else strange / interesting happening that I have failed to consider above?

Help me catch a fish in Wisconsin

juliapangolin — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 09:35:29 -0800

Please tell me the minimum set of things I need to buy if I want to catch a fish in a reservoir in Wisconsin? I'm going camping next weekend at Governor Thompson State Park and I'd like to try to fish while I'm there. I know which end of the rod I'm supposed to hold onto, but that's pretty much it, so I need help with preparation. I will have a canoe, but I also have a dog who hates canoes, so I expect to be mostly fishing from shore or standing around in the water. The park's website tells me that "The most popular fish seem to be blue gills, crappies, northern, and even some bass," so I guess I want to fish for those, or whichever of those is the tastiest.

1. What is the complete list of items I need to bring with me? (So far I have a fishing license, beer, and a can-do attitude.) 1b. If I go to Cabellas or somewhere similar, will they have a beginner's kit? If so, will it actually be complete or do some parts of it generally suck and need to be instantly augmented?

2. I needs worms, right? Or lures? both?

3. My understanding is that early morning is the best time for fishing. What about place? Is there some amount of water movement or foliage or rocks or something else I should look for?

4. The method is basically get the hook-end of the line into some bit of water that might have a fish and leave it there until you get bored or something starts tugging on the line, right? Then reel it in and pull the hook out of its mouth?

5. Say I catch a fish. How big does it have to be to be worth trying to eat?

6. What is the most humane way to kill the theoretical fish I catch (fast, I assume, but more specifically?)

7. Once dead, I need to get the guts out. In my imagination, I just slit the length of the belly and everything falls out, or maybe I have to run my finger through there. Am I imagining this right or am I going to end up with a mangled fish and pants covered in fish blood?

8. Can my dog safely eat the guts or do I need to keep her away from them? Other fish-dog interface suggestions?

9. Supposing I manage to catch a fish and remove the inedible parts, do you have preparation suggestions? Note that I will be bringing plenty of food and will not be relying on my fishing skills for survival here.

10. What are some things I should look up on the internet and take note of before leaving (I assume some kind of knot-tying or something would be useful)?

(past questions seem to be pretty trout-specific and I think there are no trout in this body of water and I'd need a special sticker to catch them even if there were, also questions about gutting and cooking seem to mostly not be addressed, but if I've missed a great thread, please point it out to me!)