Pomfret Fish | Types of Pomfret fish| Golden Pomfret

BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT POMFRET

Pomfret is one of the most popular species of fish like Salmon and Catla fish and is very commonly seen. The species of fish is the perciform Fish which belongs to the family of Bramidae. This family currently includes 20 species across seven genres.

The initial form of the pomfrets name was “pamflet”, Which is derived from the Portuguese word pampo, Referring to a variety of fishes such as blue butterfish (stromateus fiatola). The meat of the fish is white in colour.

Scientific classification of the fish includes Kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, class Actinopterygeii, order perciform, and family Bramidae. The scientific name of the pomfret fish is Bramidae. These fishes are most commonly found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. As well as tremendous seas including the Norwegian Mediterranean and the sea of Japan the maximum life span of the pomfret fish is about nine years.

Various pomfret fish which are found in the Indian Ocean also scientifically known as “pampus argentus reach up to Size 27-28 cm in adulthood and can grow up to their maximum size of 33cm. Pomfret fish is the most popular fish when it comes to goods for consumption. There are lots of benefits of pomfret fish some of them include, it prevents stroke, boosting the immune system, decreasing dimensia risk, rejuvenates the skin, prevents anemia. Pomfret fishes contain a high amount of fat and provide calcium, vitamins A and D, and B vitamins, including vitamin B12.

An increase in vitamin B12 helps with the development of the nervous system, it also contains a good amount of iodine, which is crucial for thyroid glands.

SILVER POMFRET FISH OR WHITE POMFRET

The species of fish silver pomfret which is also known as white pomfret is a butterfish species That lives in Coastal water off the Middle East, South Asia, and South East Asia. This species is now also seen in the Mediterranean , having colonized it as part of the Lessepsian migration through the sue canal.

The scientific name of the silver pomfret fish is pampus argenteus belongs to the kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, order scombriforms, and family stromatidae. The family of these fish is characterized by their flat bodies, forked tail, and long pectoral fins.

These fishes are silver-white in color with a few small scales. Pomfret grows up to 4-6 kg (8-13lb) in weight and a maximum size of 25 cm, commonly growing to 18 cm in adulthood. Silver pomfret fish has an amount of natural iodine which is good for the thyroid glands. Silver pomfret is one of the most healthy foods to consume in fish due to its low mercury level in the body. Fish also contains omega-3 fatty acids which help in keeping the body healthy.

REPRODUCTION IN POMFRET FISH

The female species of the silver pomfret fish has a prolonged period of Spawning extending from May to August. On the other hand, male matures in the month of April and riped specimens were found in the month of September. The females release the eggs and the male fertilizes the eggs outside the body. The majority of eggs varies based on the size of the individual and the species of them.

FOOD OF POMFRET FISH

This species commonly feed upon small fish, plankton, squid, shrimp, and other cephalopods and crustaceans and is the whole diet of the pomfret fish. These species generally have carnivores’ feeding habits. Due to the size of these fishes, there are also restrictions on their prey selection, though the species and region in which they live also cause individual dietary variations.

BLACK POMFRET FISH (Parastromateus niger)

Black Pomfret, is the species of the pomfret fish also scientifically known as (parastromateus niger) belongs to the family of Carangidae which is found in the areas of Coastal South Africa, Mozambique, Kenya, the Arabian sea, the bay of Bengal, Arabian gulf, Indonesia, the Philippines, China, southern Japan, etc. The scientific classification of the black pomfret fish includes the kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, class Actinopterygeii, and order carangiformes.

The species commonly grows up to the Size of 30cm and the maximum size recorded is up to 75cm. It approximately weighs 300-400g. The characteristics of the fish include a compressed deep body with a dorsal and ventral profile being equally convex. This species has small dark Grey scales which cover the entirety of the body.

FARMING OF POMFRET FISH

The farming of the pomfret fish can be done by a variety of methods which includes sharing methods that can be done by using soil ponds, traps, and cages. In these processes, everything depends on the need and the circumstances of our environment and this is the pompom factor of the growth of speed fish. This species of fish is reared for up to 240 days and then they attained an average weight of 250-300g with a survival rate of 45 percent.

One of the techniques which is earthen pond farming in brackish water (low salinity)was the first attempt in a brackish water fish pond which is located in the Anthervedhi village, west Godavari district of India.

GOLDEN POMFRET FISH

This species of fish Which is golden pomfret who is also scientifically known as (Xenobrama) microlepis, is a type of fish that is found in the areas of the Subantarctic Pacific Oceans. The characteristics of their body include a kind of teardrop shape, with a wide head that tapers back towards the tail. Each species of pomfret fish have its unique size. Scientific classification of the golden Pomfret includes kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, class Actinopterygeii, order perciform, family brimadae, genus Xenobrama yatsu, and I.nakamura, 1989.

The species usually grows up to the Size of 49.4cm (19.4in)SL in adulthood. And weighs up to approximately 400g. This species is also very popular for food consumption which provides various nutrients, is high in fat content, and provides calcium and vitamins A and D, and BA vitamins including vitamin B12. Thus pomfret is good for eyesight and healthy hair and skin.

PRESENCE OF MERCURY IN POMFRET

Calta also contains mercury as we see in Tuna fish and Catfish. In pomfret one of the most popular fish to consume contains a very lower amount of mercury.   As we know mercury itself is a very poisonous metal if consumed which is neurotoxic in nature and directly affects our nervous system. Due to pollution nowadays, now a little bit amount of mercury is found in every fish.

There is a lower amount of mercury found in silver pomfret. The presence of mercury in pregnant women has been found to be related to some birth defects and this heavy metal will usually stay in the body for quite a long due to which we have to limit the consumption to one or two times a month pomfret contains a very low amount of mercury which is about one ppm that is part per million which is permissible for consumption.

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