Vendace is a very popular fish among consumers. It is often used to prepare low-calorie dishes, making it beneficial for those trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle. Other names for vendace are ripus and kilets. Let's consider the description and characteristics of the life of this fish, as well as the nuances of fishing and its gastronomic value.
Description of the fish
Kilets is a freshwater representative of the whitefish family. It usually only grows to fifteen to twenty centimeters in length. Vendace is a fish that lives in deep lakes with clay bottoms and cold water temperatures. It is usually found in northern bodies of water.
How does she look
The body shape of this fish is similar to herring, and it is easy to confuse them with a quick glance. The vendace has a body that is strongly compressed laterally. However, its defining feature is that the lower jaw protrudes further than the upper jaw and has a characteristic depression.
The body of the ripus is covered with large scales. Its lateral line is closer to the dorsal part, which appears greyish-blue. The sides of the fish are silvery and its underside is white. The dorsal and caudal fins are gray, while all other fins are white.
Kilts usually grow to fifteen to twenty centimeters in length, although some reach 33 centimeters. The weight of these fish usually ranges from one hundred to one hundred and eighty grams, although some species weigh up to three hundred grams, but in Russia such giant specimens are rare.
Habitat
Vendace especially likes deep places with a clay or sandy bottom, but avoids shallow waters and bodies of water with warm temperatures.
It is found in Finland, Scandinavia, Germany, European Russia and Belarus. It feeds on tiny crustaceans such as daphnia and cyclops.
Rhipus prefers to live in cool northern bodies of water. In Russia, it is known to fishermen in Lake Onega, Lake Peipus and Lake Pskov. In addition, it is found in the Gulf of Finland and Baltic waters.
The bobbinfish is considered the main threat to the redfish in its natural habitat, as it eats the fish's juveniles and eggs. Despite their diminutive size, the ripus is considered a valuable asset to the fishing industry.
What does it eat?
The main food of vendace throughout the year consists of small crustaceans such as daphnia, cyclops and others.During the day, these crustaceans stay close to the bottom of the reservoir, so vendace swims there. However, at night, the killer whales' diet moves to shallow waters near shorelines, followed by schools of vendace.
The diet of vendace is also varied by worms and insect larvae. During the summer months it feeds on insects that fall into the water; This happens especially often where they swarm over water in large numbers. At this time, the stomachs of these fish become densely packed with cockchafers and various flies.
Reproduction and spawning
In terms of lifestyle, the Kilet is similar to other representatives of its family. This is a peaceful creature that lives in large flocks, and feeds mainly on small animal food that it finds in the water. Its growth rate is slow, usually taking six years to reach sexual maturity. However, the Pereslavl variety is considered an exception, since it is capable of reproducing after reaching two to three years of age.
Spawning occurs from late autumn to early winter and lasts only a couple of weeks. At this time, fish gather in large groups and remain in shallow areas with sandy or muddy substrate, choosing underwater hills and slopes.
Spawning usually occurs at night. Depending on its size, a female kelp is capable of laying from seven to fifteen thousand eggs, the diameter of which is about 1.5 mm. These eggs hatch in the spring, but most of them are eaten by various types of fish, such as bobbins and perch, that are found in the same body of water.
Vendace spends most of its time swimming around the pond in search of food. During the early fall months, they migrate to the upper reaches of rivers and lakes to lay eggs before the onset of winter.
Types of vendace
There are four types of ripus, which differ in physical characteristics such as appearance and size.
- Siberian. Found in the northern regions from the White Sea to the Alaska Peninsula. This semi-anadromous species is a very valuable catch for anglers. It reaches up to thirty-five centimeters in length and usually weighs up to a thousand grams.
- European. This species lives mainly in lakes such as Ladoga, Pskov and Chudskoye. It is found in Finland and in the north of the European part of Russia. In appearance it resembles a herring, distinguished by a narrow and elongated body with a protruding belly. Its scales are large and loose. The back of the fish is grayish-blue with a white underside and silvery sides. It reaches thirty centimeters in length and weighs about 0.3 kg.
- Pereslavskaya. This is a subspecies of the European variety, found only in the freshwater Lake Pleshchevo. This is an endangered species listed in the Red Book, and its catching is prohibited. Pereslavl Kilets prefers cool, oxygen-rich waters and reaches thirty-five centimeters in length with an average weight of 0.3 kg.
- Belomorskaya. This is the most common variety. Found in water bodies of the White Sea basin. This is the smallest type of ripus. This keel has a slender body, a convex belly and a flat back. On the head there are miniature eyes and an upward-pointing mouth, the upper part of the jaw being shorter than the lower. It has large scales that do not fit tightly to the body. The upper part of the fish is a grayish-blue hue, while the sides are silvery and the underside of the carcass is almost white. The dorsal and caudal fins are dark in color, the remaining fins are gray.Representatives of this species are capable of growing to a maximum of 0.25 m in length, but the typical size found in catches is usually from fourteen to seventeen centimeters. The average weight is fifty grams, sometimes individuals reach one hundred and fifty grams, but these are rare. Fish found in lakes are generally smaller than those found in rivers.
Fishing Features
Fishermen claim that catching White Sea vendace is a pleasant experience. This fish is usually caught using float and bottom gear, as well as winter and summer jig gear.
Kilets are usually found far from the coast and at great depths. Therefore, anglers are recommended to use a float or “running bait” to catch it. This type of fish is not particularly shy, but using too heavy tackle will still be counterproductive.
Why is vendace useful?
Kieltz is a freshwater species that boasts an abundance of Omega-3 acids in its nutritious fat. This happens because the rhipus does not consume phytoplankton, but small crustaceans.
It is important to remember that Omega-3s are not synthesized independently in the body, so they must be obtained from food. Consuming Omega-3 foods provides many benefits to human health. For example, they help improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system, lowering blood cholesterol levels, and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. In addition, they help strengthen the immune system, improve brain function, reduce the risk of developing depression and Alzheimer's disease, improve vision and reduce inflammatory processes in the body.
The omega-3s in kale meat are not as long-lasting as those in sea life fillets, but proper freezing can help with this issue. If everything is done according to freezing technology, the fish will retain its beneficial qualities for a long period.
Vendace also contains other beneficial components, including:
- protein that is easily digested and processed by the body;
- vitamin PP, which helps in biochemical reactions;
- and histidine, which is vital for cell growth.
In addition, fish meat provides the body with a wide range of minerals, such as:
- sulfur;
- molybdenum;
- chlorine;
- fluorine;
- zinc;
- chromium;
- calcium;
- magnesium;
- phosphorus and others.
Vendace is considered a healthy food option due to its low calorie content - only 43-85 calories per hundred grams of product. In addition, it contains significantly less bones than other freshwater species; only one tenth of the product consists of bones. Thanks to this, ripus is especially pleasant to eat smoked, salted and dried.
Ripus is prepared in various ways. It is enjoyed both salted and smoked. Many people like kilets in tomato sauce and marinated. In addition, fish is often fried with sour cream sauce.
Kilets is the main ingredient of a traditional Finnish treat, which is a pie made from unleavened fried dough.
To create a delicious dish, it is important to prepare the fish correctly - rinse, skin and then drain before cooking to your own preference.
Marinating ripus is a widely practiced cooking method. First, boil the fish, then allow it to cool before adding a dressing of vinegar, bay leaf and finely chopped horseradish, as well as salt.The fish is then sprinkled with dill and spices before being left to “infuse” for several days. As soon as this process is completed, a weight should be placed on top of the dish and left for 14 days for further marinating. This dish is a great addition to any special occasion meal.
Fried ripus is very tasty, and the soup made from this fish is rich. There are no contraindications why vendace should not be eaten, except in cases where there is an allergy to seafood.
