FISH AND SHELLFISH AS FOOD 



287 



Lang, Farber, and Yerman have shown that this method is of considerable value 

 for estimating the spoilage of tuna. 



Proximate Composition 



The percentage of fat in different species of fish varies widely. Salmon, shad, 

 herring, butterfish, and mackerel are well-known fatty fish, whereas cod, had- 

 dock, cusk, pollock, and flounder have long been recognized as lean fish. 



Many other factors also influence the amount of fat in the individual fish. 

 The larger, older fish, especially those of the same school, are often fatter than 

 the smaller fish as they are stronger and thus are able to seize more food. Female 

 fish during the early development of the ovaries are usually fatter than male fish 

 of the same schools. Fish caught on excellent feeding grounds are fatter than 

 those caught elsewhere. 



Clark and Almy, who made a study of the common food fishes of the Phila- 

 delphia markets, with especial reference to a seasonal variation in composition, 

 concluded that, of the 10 marine fishes examined at different seasons of the 

 year, 9 species showed a definite tendency toward a seasonal variation in 

 composition ( Tables 64 and 65 ) . The fatty fishes, bluefish, butterfish, and Spanish 

 mackerel, were relatively lean in the spring, but were high in fat in the autumn. 



Table 65. Percentage Composition of Edible Part of Fish 



(Calculated on Dry Basis). 



Common Name 

 of Fish 



Bluefish 



Bluefish 



Butterfish 



Butterfish 



Croaker 



Croaker 



Flounder 



Flounder 



Haddock 



Haddock 



Striped bass 



Striped bass 



Sea bass 



Sea bass 



Spanish mackerel 



Spanish mackerel 



Weakfish 



Weakfish 



Shad (male) 



Shad (female) 



Shad (female) 



Shad (female) spent 



Source: Clark, E. 

 Chem., 33, 483-498 



When 

 Caught 



May? 



Sept. 28 



May 19 



Oct. 12 



Apr. 10 



Sept. 8 



Apr. 19 



Sept. 22 



Apr. 2 



Aug. 31 



Apr. 16 



Oct. 16 



May 12 



Sept. 14 



June 4 



Oct. 26 



May 1 



Sept. 25 



Apr. 2 



Apr. 13 



May 22 



June 19 



D., and Ahny, 

 (1918). 



Fat Ash Total Water 



NITROGEN 



Cold ^ Hot 



Coagu- 



Soluble Soluble 



Water Ammonia 



6.45 4.87 



27.86 3.81 



23.27 5.81 



45.02 4.66 



6.02 5.68 



13.30 5.64 



1.14 6.67 



1.71 6.20 



0.81 6.06 



0.42 4.84 



13.94 4.90 



15.01 6.35 



7.32 5.59 



8.22 5.60 



38.14 3.63 



45.47 3.10 



10.94 5.85 



2.68 6.19 



40.85 3.80 



40.75 4.10 



22.58 4.97 



12.62 6.54 



14.10 

 11.21 

 11.28 

 9.72 

 13.72 



14.60 

 11.76 

 12.72 

 12.43 

 12.50 

 15.47 

 13.55 



9.48 



7.38 



13.23 



9.01 



8.78 



11.20 



12.75 



3.19 



2.51 

 3.36 

 2.83 

 3.91 

 3.62 

 5.06 

 3.42 

 4.08 

 3.84 

 4.48 

 5.39 

 4.39 

 5.08 

 2.56 

 2.49 

 5.53 

 4.63 

 3.15 

 3.35 

 3.77 

 4.17 



1.35 



1.24 



1.94 



1.43 



2.15 



1.69 



2.72 



1.90 



1.87 



2.50 



2.80 



3.29 



2.42 



3.55 



1.39 



1.60 



3.98 



2.58 



1.768 



2.005 



2.113 



2.348 



0.30 

 0.29 

 0.08 

 0.70 

 0.68 

 0.54 

 0.67 

 0.90 

 0.80 

 0.72 

 0.40 



0.48 



0.17 

 0.29 

 0.95 

 1.49 

 0.21 

 0.18 

 0.23 

 0.78 



0.078 

 0.061 

 0.063 

 0.059 

 0.067 

 0.094 

 0.082 

 0.087 

 0.120 

 0.105 

 0.066 

 0.084 

 0.072 

 0.113 

 0.056 

 0.067 

 0.063 

 0.077 

 0.045 

 0.053 

 0.074 

 0.076 



L. H., "A Chemical Study of Food Fishes," /. Biol. 



