What Kind of Fish Is the Filefish (Monacanthidae)? A Detailed Guide to Its Origin, Price, Nutrition, and Why It Is Skinned
The filefish, also known as the leatherjacket or bread fish, is a nutrient-rich warm-water bottom-dwelling fish with a high protein content, and its liver and bones both have high nutritional value. They are currently made into various kinds of canned products sold in major markets. So where does the filefish come from? How much does it generally cost per jin? What nutritional value does it have? Why does it need to be skinned?
Where does it come from?
The filefish is a warm-water near-bottom fish, mainly distributed in China's East China Sea, South China Sea, Yellow Sea, and Bohai Sea, as well as off Korea and Japan, and it is also found in South Africa. Not only is its yield high, but its fishing seasons are relatively concentrated, with the main season running from early February to late May. At present, the yield from China's East China Sea is the largest, with the highest annual output having reached about 250,000 tons, making it China's second-largest marine economic fish species after the hairtail.
Latest prices:
Filefish generally costs around 15 yuan per jin; prices vary slightly from market to market and are for reference only.
Dalian Hao Dashu Aquatic Products Co., Ltd. price: 23.00 yuan
Yuyao Beisen Trading Co., Ltd. price: 14.00 yuan
Hangzhou Kaifeilan Trading Co., Ltd. price: 20.00 yuan
Xiamen Haiyuan Changmao Commerce and Trade Co., Ltd. price: 27.00 yuan
Nutritional value:
The filefish has a large liver, which can be used to make cod liver oil. The liver accounts for 3.9-7.4% of the whole fish's weight and has an oil content of as high as 50-60%. The oil residue can also replace tung oil putty. The bones can be made into canned fish steak, and the head skin and innards can be made into fishmeal. The skin can be processed into soluble edible fish protein. This is a protein-rich nutritional food that not only contains various amino acids but is also easily digested and absorbed by the human body. Therefore, it is a good nutritional food for young children and generally frail and sickly people. However, the edible protein obtained has a special fishy odor, which affects its practical value.
Why does it need to be skinned?
The filefish's skin is very hard and cannot be eaten, and its first dorsal fin is long, thick, and has barbs, so it must be skinned before eating. Its head is very small and has little meat, so the head is removed along the way. In addition, the leatherjacket's liver and gallbladder are very large, so the liver and skin are removed before the fish is sold in markets.
These days, when you buy leatherjacket at the market, the fishmonger will provide the service of removing the skin and innards; otherwise, few people would probably be willing to buy them and go to great effort to prepare them at home. The way the fishmonger skins and guts the leatherjacket is like a doctor performing surgery: using a pair of sharp scissors to snip off that spine, then splitting open the belly and removing the innards, and then, using the belly as the dividing line, pulling the skin apart to both sides and peeling it off the way people take off clothes.
How to skin a leatherjacket:
Simply make a light cut along the line where the head meets the body, and the skin can be torn off.
Tips
After buying fresh leatherjacket and bringing it home, first wash it clean and use scissors to cut off the fins. Then find the “belly button” on the belly, which is the leatherjacket's anus, use scissors to cut an opening from the anus along the belly, and then tear off the outer skin with your hands. You can also cut off the entire fish head with a knife and start tearing the skin from the cut. If it is frozen leatherjacket, wait until the fish has thawed before tearing. The torn-off fish skin can also be used as a pot scrubber to scrub pots.