Q2 GIANT FISHES 



Edward II it is enacted that " the King shall have the wreck 

 of the sea throughout the realm, whales and great sturgeons 

 . . . except in certain places privileged by the King ". 



Apart from the flesh, the two most valuable commodities 

 derived from the Sturgeon are, of course, caviare and isinglass, 

 the former being obtained from the eggs, the latter from the 

 air-bladder. The preparation of caviare from the roes is an 

 important industry, carried on principally round the Black 

 and Caspian Seas, where these fishes are numerous, and at 

 one of the fishing stations in these regions as many as 15,000 

 fish have been caught in a single day. Caviare is also prepared 

 in the United States. The eggs are first sieved to separate 

 them from the surrounding membranes, then washed in 

 vinegar or white wine, and afterwards spread out to dry ; 

 salt is then rubbed in well by hand, the eggs are put into bags 

 and slightly pressed to remove the fluid, and they are finally 

 packed into wooden casks or into cans for the market. 



The preparation of isinglass is another important industry. 

 The air-bladders or " sounds ", as they are known to the trade, 

 are split open, thoroughly washed, and spread out to dry in 

 the air with the silvery- white inner membrane uppermost. 

 This lining, which is nearly pure gelatine, is then stripped off 

 and, after being specially treated, is dried to form the com- 

 mercial product, which is marketed as " cake ", " pipe ", 

 " leaf ", or " book " isinglass. This is used for the clarification 

 of wines and beers, for making jellies, etc., and in the preparation 

 of certain cements. 



The name " Sturgeon " seems to have been derived from 

 the German word " Stor ", perhaps from the verb " storen ", 

 which means to poke or rummage about — an allusion to its 

 method of feeding. In old books it was sometimes spelt 

 " storgin " or " sturjoun ". 



Before leaving the Sturgeons, mention may be made of two 

 freshwater relatives, which differ in having naked bodies, very 

 small eyes, long snouts, and rather large mouths. The Paddle- 

 fish or Spoon-bill Sturgeon (Polyodon spathula) is found in the 

 lowland streams of the Mississippi Valley and rivers of the 

 southern United States, and grows to a length of about 4 or 5 

 feet. The Sword-bill Sturgeon (Psephurus gladius) is found in 

 the larger rivers of China, and grows to a somewhat larger size. 



