What Are the Common Varieties of Sea Bream? A Full Analysis of Each Variety's Characteristics
Sea bream is a nearshore bottom-dwelling fish, mainly distributed in sea areas such as the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea of China. Sea bream is very striking with its all-red body, and its meat is tender and delicious, ranking first among sea fish. Moreover, Japanese people have an extraordinary fondness for sea bream, and it is almost an indispensable dish at festivals and celebratory banquets. At present, the sea bream varieties available on the market are very diverse, and their nutritional characteristics differ greatly. Let's learn about them together below.
1. Red Sea Bream
Red sea bream, also known as red crucian carp, mostly lives in rocky reef zones at a water depth of 30-200 m, and adult individuals can reach dozens of kg. Red sea bream has an omnivorous diet; in winter at low temperatures it generally lurks in deeper sea areas to overwinter, and usually gathers in groups at the edges of rocky reefs and in aquaculture areas to inhabit and live. Because the red sea bream has a graceful shape and an auspicious color, it has been indispensable in various festive activities since ancient times. In addition, the red sea bream is a precious fish in China; every 100 g of meat contains 19.3 g of protein, and its meat is delicious with high nutritional value, and it is often eaten braised.
2. Black Sea Bream
Black sea bream, also known as black jiaji, has an elongated oval body and a gray-black body color, and its weight can reach up to four or five kg. Black sea bream likes to inhabit and swim in sea areas with rocky reefs or sandy and muddy bottoms, and often forages at piers and coastal reef clusters, preferring to eat snails, shellfish and tender meat of cephalopods. Although the black sea bream has a black body, its flesh is translucent white; in terms of eating texture it is plump and juicy, with a very obvious clear, sweet and fragrant taste.
3. Striped Beakperch
Striped beakperch, also known as barred knifejaw, has a high, laterally compressed body, a short tail, and an oval shape. It mainly inhabits coastal shallow seas and is an omnivorous bottom-dwelling fish, mainly feeding on shrimp, insects and small fish, and also eating algae. In appearance, the striped beakperch has one particularly obvious difference from other sea breams: it has its own black-and-white stripes. Because it is relatively difficult to catch, its price is very expensive. Autumn and winter are the best times to eat striped beakperch; at this time it is rather plump and its meat is tender and smooth, and it is very good whether steamed or cut into thin slices for shabu-shabu.
4. Bigeye
Bigeye, also known as moonfish, can be seen from its name to have very large eyes, and its body is slender and slightly flat, with a bright red and beautiful body color. Bigeye is a warm-water bottom-dwelling fish, mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical sea areas. In addition, bigeye mostly inhabits and swims in deep water around islands and reefs to hunt, feeding on shrimp, crabs and small fish. In terms of edible value, bigeye has tender meat and is rich in nutrients and very delicious; cooking methods such as teriyaki and salt-grilling are all suitable, and it is especially delicious when used in hot pot.
The above is an introduction to some common sea bream varieties. Of course, the varieties of sea bream are far more than these, and the main reason sea bream is so popular with diners is still its meat quality and nutrition, and its cooking methods are also extremely rich. I wonder which kind of sea bream everyone has eaten?
For wonderful pictures and texts and popular comments about sea bream varieties, you may be interested in the following recommended content from Nongxun Network. Welcome to read.
Recommended reading: What varieties of Chinese fighting fish are there? 2019 latest price reference for Chinese fighting fish