The second name of the striped red mullet is "Mediterranean sultans", they are representatives of the red mullet family, the red mullet genus.

Habitat of the striped red mullet

These fish live in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, from southern Norway to the British Isles. In addition, red mullet are common in the Black and Mediterranean Sea, sometimes they swim into the Skagerrak Strait and the North Sea.

The striped goblet live near the bottom, keep at a depth of 5-90 meters, but in the eastern Ionian Sea they are recorded at a depth of 300-400 meters. Reel prefer rocky bottom, but can also live on muddy or sandy bottom.

Description of striped red mullet

The body length of an adult redfish is 20-25 centimeters, but some individuals grow up to 40 centimeters and have a body weight of 1 kilogram.

Moreover, females are slightly larger than males. The shape of the body is elongated, the body is compressed at the sides. The dorsal and anal fins are short, and the caudal fin is forked.

The head of the striped redfish is large, large eyes set high. The snout drops steeply downward. The mouth is small. Outwardly, redfish are very similar to their closest relatives - ordinary sultans, but the difference is observed in colors.

There are yellow-brown and reddish longitudinal stripes on the sides of the body of the striped red drum, and in the lower part of the body there are transverse stripes. The color of the belly is silvery white. The first dorsal fin is decorated with silvery-white stripes.

The striped red mullet has a very long mustache, it is thanks to them that the fish got its name, since in Latin the word "antennae" sounds "barbus". The whiskers are longer than the pectoral fins.

Striped red mullet lifestyle

The red deer live in small groups, sometimes they are found alone, and the fry are united in rather large flocks.

The striped red mullet feeds on molluscs, worms, crustaceans and small fish.

As it was noted, redfish are looking for food with the help of long whiskers, having found prey, the predator vigorously stir up the silt or sand so that the prey surfaced.

This is also used by other fish, for example, sea bream and wrasse, which can often be found in the company of red mullet.

Reproduction of red mullet

The striped red mullet spawns from March to April and from July to August. Females lay eggs, the diameter of which is approximately 0.9 millimeters. After 3 days, pelagic larvae emerge from the eggs, the length of which reaches 2 millimeters. The sea current carries the larvae far from their places of birth. Fry born in the English Channel enter the North Sea through the Skagerrak.

The fry are greenish-blue in color and live in the near-surface layers of water. Their diet consists of plankton. Growing up, the redfish fry sink to the depth. With a body length of 3-6 centimeters, the fry are already foraging for themselves at the bottom. And their children's coloring changes to an adult one.

Puberty in striped redfish occurs at 1-3 years old with a body length of 14 centimeters.

Overwhelming demand for the reel

Barabuli have delicious meat. This fish has long been eaten. The drumsticks were especially highly valued in Ancient Rome, where for a large specimen they gave as much silver as a fish weighed.

People appreciated not only red drum meat, but also their ability to change the color of scales during the growth process.

Historians believe that the popularity of red mullet was due to the fact that their color had a purple color, which was a sign of superior origin and luxury.

During the feasts, the Romans staged real performances, the guests watched the color of the dying fish change. And only after these spectacles, the fish were given to the cooks. For example, Seneca wrote that he had not seen anything more beautiful, a dying redhead. The Roman nobility lived in ponds, they were tamed, swam to the sound of a bell and took food from their hands. Around the red mullet, there was a huge excitement, which, centuries later, repeated with Dutch tulips: there was a time when estates were sold for one bulb.

In Rome, a medium-sized ram could be exchanged for a slave. Pliny wrote that during the time of Caligula, 8 thousand sesterces were given for a very large ram. When the price of a burubula was 30 thousand sesterces, the emperor issued a decree to regulate the price of fish.

In fact, red mullet, and especially large individuals, do not have very excellent taste. In addition, her appearance is not so adorable that it does not pay that kind of money. It's all about fashion and the desire to show themselves, because of this, the rich Romans showed such extravagance. By the 4th century, the red drum did not become so popular anymore.

Modern aquarists do not subject fish to cruel tests to see how they change color when they die, but they keep them with great pleasure in aquariums. These are cute fish that are interesting to watch. In addition, they are useful for aquariums, as they stir the substrate at the bottom, so that poisonous gases do not accumulate in it.

Commercial fishing is carried out for red mullet today, their meat is popular among gourmets, especially since the cost of this fish is many times less than in Ancient Rome.

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Here is a synopsis of one of the episodes of the program "Living Healthy" from 11/22/2012

By Dmitry Nikolaevich Shubin, neurologist, chiropractor

In our kitchen today there is a fish called red mullet. This is our name, but it comes from the Italian word "beard" (watchdog), ... and it sounds like that in Latin. The French call it “rouge” because it is red in color. The British call it "goatfish", that is. "Goat fish": the reason is simple, it has two antennae hanging down, with which it loosens the bottom and gets its own food from there. Well, in the Mediterranean, she also has the name "sultanka", because it was believed that only sultans could wear such a luxurious and magnificent mustache. Those. its name is clear.

We brought you a small red mullet fish, but in general it can be quite large: it can reach a weight of 1.5 kg.

In ancient Rome, it was highly valued, they gave a lot of money for it: the more fish there was, the more money they gave. But not only its very tender meat was appreciated, but also its peculiarity to change color when this fish died. Those. these jaded Romans, who spent their time in feasts and other entertainments, they watched in glass vessels how this fish changes color in the process of its death. And at that moment they came into a kind of food ecstasy. Only then was it sent to the kitchen to be eaten later.

We eat red mullet, and it also has a slightly reddish hue. It is a protein-rich, low-fat food, contains very few calories.

And in general, you need to know that the protein of any fish is easier to digest. And it is absorbed much more intensively and faster. It contains phosphorus, calcium, potassium - all these are essential trace elements in our life.

Red mullet contains a lot of iodine, which we need to form thyroid hormones, without which our life is simply unthinkable. They give us tremendous energy, the joy of living, the desire to do something. All this is impossible without iodine.

In general, any sea fish contains a lot of iodine. In red mullet 155 mg, perch 145 mg and pike perch 135 mg.

If the thyroid hormones are not enough, then the metabolic processes in the body begin to slow down dramatically. As a result, we have dry dull skin, low mood, obesity. And it was very sad in life: we do not run, but we can hardly crawl.

But if the function of the thyroid gland is preserved, it functions normally ... and iodine provides all this, ... eyes shine and splashes fly in all directions from our life.

So, iodine, which is abundant in red mullet, determines the energy of our life.

Now let's answer three questions. How to choose, how to store and how to prepare, so as not to destroy the good qualities of the product?

1. How to choose red mullet? See that she doesn't have a bloated tummy. Often red mullet is not gutted, because it does not have that bitter taste due to the large volume of the gallbladder, which is found in other fish. Moreover, its liver is considered a special delicacy. Therefore, it is often simply cleaned of scales and cooked gutted. But most importantly, pay attention to whether it has two antennae: otherwise, perhaps, you are given another fish for a red mullet. This fish is not cheap. And then all the traditional signs when choosing a fish: sniff. Still, the fish should be as fresh as possible. You should smell the sea, not the pungent smell of fish. You press on it with your finger, and see if there are any indentations. And her eyes should be light, not cloudy.

2. How to store red mullet? We store fish very simply: the fresher it is, the nicer it is to us. Therefore, we put fresh chilled fish on ice and put it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. And there one, maximum two, days it remains with us. Of course, we can freeze it, it will not lose its nutritional value, but it is much nicer while fresh in terms of taste.

3. How to properly prepare red mullet so that all the qualities beneficial to our health are preserved in it? Most often, people fry fish, thereby destroying many of its beneficial properties, then using it with harmful substances formed from the frying process (they cause oncology). And also people salt fish, which is also bad, because excess salt intake is harmful. We suggest that you make it either steamed or stew (sometimes you can bake it). Then not only the benefits are preserved, but also the unique taste. You don't need to gut the red mullet, just peel it off the scales. During cooking, it is better not to salt sea fish, because it is sea fish and there is already enough salt in it.

Recipe from cook Denis Nikiforov: "Today I made stewed red mullet. For this recipe I used freshly squeezed orange and tomato juice, onion, spices. And we cooked it without salt. Bon appetit!"

Thanks! Very tasty. And there is enough salt.

Black Sea red mullet, red mullet, or, in other words, the Common Sultanka is an inhabitant of the depths of the perch-like order, whose habitat is located in the coastal zones of the Black and Azov Seas.

origin of name

The red mullet fish presumably got its name from the Italian expression "barbone" - which means "big beard". As it is clear from the translation, the name has a lot to do with its appearance. This fish has 2 long antennae hanging from the head end, with the help of which it searches for food for itself, it mainly feeds on small invertebrates. The "antennae" also left a trace in another name - "sultanka", apparently due to the similarity with the long mustaches of the Turkish sultans.

Appearance

The body of the redfish is elongated and flattened from the sides, its length is usually from 20 to 30 cm. The head is large relative to the body, with a steep slope of the snout and high-set eyes. The body is unevenly colored, mainly red, the abdomen is silvery, the fins are light yellow.

Species biology

The Black Sea drum has the following features:

• Mostly off the coast, usually at a depth of about 15-30 meters, although they are found deeper;
• The fish keep in schools at the bottom, do not rise into the water column. The bottom is preferred silty or sandy;
• As indicated above, their long antennae are "helpers" in the search for food - fish
• They move slowly at the bottom and “feel” its surface with antennae, looking for small benthic invertebrates;
• The fish is not particularly shy. A person can approach her if he moves slowly, without sudden movements.

Reproduction

Spawning begins at 2-3 years of age. Spawns from May to August at depths of 10-50 meters. Each female lays several servings of eggs, the number of eggs per season can be up to 80 thousand (from one female). The fertilized one floats into the upper layers of the water and after a couple of days, depending on the temperature of the water, larvae hatch from it. The fry feed on small organisms that live in the water column.

Approximately one and a half to two months after hatching from the eggs, the fry move to the shores. By that time, they reach a length of about 4-6 cm, sink closer to the bottom. By that time, they acquire the appearance and color characteristic of adults. The lifespan of the Black Sea red mullet is approximately 10 to 15 years.

Catching red drums

Adult red mullets swim to the shore with the onset of spring and swim to deeper places only in the winter. Sometimes they are found even at river mouths. Considering that red mullet almost always swims near the coast, with some fishing skills, it can be caught. As a rule, the fishing season is in the spring-summer.
Reel fishing is good for the following baits:

1. Raw or boiled shrimp;
2. Crab meat;
3. Mussel meat;
4. Earthworm.

The main problem when fishing is to find fresh bait, since this fish almost does not bite on an artificial one.

Tackle for catching redfish

The drum is most often caught either with a float tackle or with a bottom fishing rod, given the depth at which this fish usually lives. Long distance casting is considered the most preferable. At the same time, bottom rods should be sensitive enough. In general, it is better to choose a shoot for fishing taking into account the experience in fishing.

It is better to choose the weather with a calm sea, in places with a weak current.
For fishing we recommend hook number 10 (5 according to Russian numbering). If fishing with a worm, then it is better to choose a hook with a long forearm.

The line should be transparent as this is saltwater fishing. The length of the rod should be at least 2.30-2.70 m. When fishing at sea, the load on the reel is increased, so you should choose it especially carefully, also taking into account that it is negatively affected by the effect of sea water.

Meaning

The meat of this fish is a delicacy. It enjoyed popularity even in the days of Ancient Rome. In addition, due to its special taste properties, red mullet fat is highly valued. Considering the gastronomic value, relative ease of fishing and territorial accessibility (coastal areas of the Black and Azov Seas), the Black Sea red mullet is of interest to both avid fishermen and food lovers. It should also be mentioned that since the red mullet lives at shallow depths, it can be observed when diving.

Video review of sea red mullet fish:

It will give strength, cheer up, relieve drowsiness ... These and many other epithets can be heard about red mullet, a valuable commercial fish with tender meat and properties that are extremely useful for the body.

Product history and geography

Red mullet ( otherwise sultanka, prickly or red mullet) is a species of marine fish of the red goat family of the genus red mullet. Her culinary history begins in ancient times. It is known that this fish was very revered by the Greeks. It is mentioned in the correspondence between Cicero and Atticus, where the famous philosopher talks about the attempts of the rich Romans to feed the bearded mullet in their ponds. According to the author, the sultanka turned out to be extremely intolerant of captivity, therefore only one or two individuals out of many thousands in rare cases could endure imprisonment in closed reservoirs.

The famous ancient Roman author of the largest encyclopedia of antiquity, the polymath Pliny, also found fish worthy of his attention. He said that the little sultanka rarely gained weight more than 1 kg, and large individuals were very much appreciated by his contemporaries. Each kilogram of red mullet cost about a thousand sesterces ( silver coins). So, by the 1st century A.D. NS. Pliny's compatriots were so fascinated by large specimens of fish that they paid very extravagant sums of money for them. For example, during the reign of Caligula, Asinius Celer spent 8,000 sesterces on a red mullet. There was a case when a Roman sold his slave for 2,000 coins to buy 4 kg of red mullet.

Some admired the delicate taste of the red mullet, especially noting the liver and head of the fish, while others did not understand the craze for the delicacy, considering expensive purchases a bad hobby that spoke of the desire to show off and the desire for a luxurious life. One way or another, the time when slaves were given for mullet has passed and the quirks of the ancient Romans are in the past.

Today, the sultanka lives in the waters of the Indian and western Pacific oceans, the Black, Mediterranean, Azov seas, near the eastern shores of the Atlantic. The red mullet is of great commercial importance. It is mined by large farms and amateur fishermen from the countries of the Mediterranean basin, France, Ukraine, Morocco, and Russia. The most productive fishing time is May-June, September-October. The fish is easily accessible for fishing, because it lives near the coast at a shallow depth of about 15-30 m. It is caught with tops, nets, hooks.

Types and varieties

Red mullet is a fish about 10-15 cm long, can grow up to 30 cm. Males are smaller in size than females. The fish has a large head with a steep forehead, large, high-set eyes, yellow-brown and reddish longitudinal stripes on the sides, a silvery-white belly. A distinctive feature of the red mullet is a long mustache ( Latin. barbus - beard), because of which she received the nickname red mullet or sultan. They help fish find prey in the bottom zone of water bodies. She stir up the sand at the bottom with her mustache, where small animals live.

In nature, there are 4 species and 2 subspecies of fish. it argentinian type of, golden and black sea common sultanka, European, Black Sea and striped red mullet. Fish goes on sale canned, fresh and frozen. It is popular with buyers of hot smoked sultan. Fish are distinguished by size range (average length or weight of copies in a batch), the period of production and storage, cost, presence of defects and other characteristics.

Beneficial features

The product contains easily digestible protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, calcium, vitamins of group B, PP, E. Fish also contains: fluorine, chromium and nickel. Its caloric content is on average 117 kcal / 100 g. Sultanka is useful in that it helps to replenish the body's reserves of missing substances necessary for normal life, helps restore immunity, protects against ailments, and normalizes the circulatory system.

It is believed that red mullet has a positive effect on the course of pregnancy and is beneficial for the elderly aging organism. It is recommended to be included in the diet for people suffering from skin diseases and infectious ailments.

The importance of fish for humans is associated with its high iodine content. Without it, the normal life of the body is unthinkable, in particular, the safe functioning of the thyroid gland. Lack of iodine leads to a drop in mood, loss of vitality, and a slowdown in metabolic processes. A person begins to suffer from dry skin, excess weight, hair loss, edema. This is the case when getting up in the morning, after a long sleep, we feel tired. Eliminate many problems associated with a lack of substance, and red mullet is called upon. She is the record holder for iodine content, in 100 grams. its fish meat contains 155 mg.

Taste qualities

The fish has tender, juicy and very tasty meat. Some gourmets compare dried sultanka with ram. The red mullet of small size, up to 25 cm in size, is especially good. Such individuals have few bones and more delicate flesh than large specimens. The liver is especially appreciated in fish. It has a creamy texture, similar to chicken liver, and is considered a delicacy.

Cooking applications

Fish connoisseurs prefer to grill it, pan or bake it in the oven. However, those who are more interested in useful substances in fish than taste, stew it with tomato or orange juice, trying to get the maximum benefit from the vitamins and trace elements present in the unique product.

Popular red mullet dishes

Jellied with herbs and seafood.
Fish stewed with vegetables in tomato sauce.
Grilled sultana.
Oven baked red mullet with spices.
Whole-fried fish in a pan, breaded.
Cold soup with tomatoes and herbs.
Stew in white wine with spices.
Fry in ghee in breadcrumbs.

What is fish combined with?

Oil: olive oil, ghee.
Vegetables: zucchini, potatoes, tomato, asparagus, bell pepper.
Fruit: lime, lemon.
Herbs: lettuce, basil, grape leaves.
Spices / Condiments: oregano, thyme.
Dairy products: cream.
Cereals / Pasta: rice.
Alcohol: white wine.

Fresh sultanka is traditionally cooked entirely with the head, without resorting to the evisceration procedure, since the individuals do not have bile. For long-term storage, the guts are removed from the red mullet, as they quickly deteriorate.