is snoek white fish

Full Answer

What is a snoek fish?

The snoek fish or cape snoek is a fast schooling fish that’s often caught as bycatch in offshore waters. It is a long and thin species of snake mackerel that lives in the seas that span the Southern Hemisphere and can grow up to an impressive 2 m in length. Check out these snoek! Source: Celanth

What is the scientific name of Snook?

The common snook (Centropomus undecimalis) is a species of marine fish in the family Centropomidae of the order Perciformes. The common snook is also known as the sergeant fish or robalo. ... The common snook is a protandric hermaphrodite fish species.

What does Snook taste like?

Considered an excellent food fish, the common snook is fished commercially and foreign-caught fish are sold in the US. When cooking snook, the skin must be removed, because it imparts an unpleasant taste, described as soapy, to the fish. Snook are also prized as game fish, being known for their great fighting capabilities.

Can you buy Snook fish?

Snook is a white-meat fish with a tasty, flaky flesh. It's illegal to buy or sell snook, but you can catch and cook the fish legally. Snook is a lean, healthy protein that makes a great centerpiece for a low-fat seafood-based meal. Snook fillets cook quickly on the grill or blackened in a hot pan.

What type of fish is snoek?

snake mackerelThyrsites atun (Euphrasén, 1791), the snoek, is a long, thin species of snake mackerel found in the seas of the Southern Hemisphere, and a popular food fish in South Africa, particularly along the west and southwest coast.

Is snoek fish healthy?

Cape snoek is a low-fat fish, containing less than 4% fat, and is high in EPA (9.11±2.06%) and DHA (19.70±3.25%). Cape snoek is thus a healthy, cheap and high-protein food source, with a high content of omega-3 fatty acids.

What is snoek called in English?

The snoek is a fish that belongs to a group called the snake mackerels. It is an important food fish. Snoeks are caught by sport fishers and also by people who sell what they catch. The scientific name for the snoek is Thyrsites atun.

What fish is similar to snoek?

Snoek. NZ barracouta.South African Rainbow Trout. Norwegian Salmon, especially good for sushi.Pole-caught Tuna. Other Tuna, Swordfish, other game fish.Yellowtail. Game fish, Cape Salmon and Tuna in sushi.Oysters & Mussels. Any shellfish.

Is snoek high in cholesterol?

Snoek is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids which are known to lower harmful LDL-cholesterol.

Is snoek healthier than hake?

In all it has a high protein content of 24,5%, which is higher than that of other marine fish species such as European hake (Merluccius merluccius), seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and cod (Gadus morhua callarias), or freshwater fish species, such as rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and catfish (Clarias gariepinus).

Why is snoek fish salty?

Snoek fish, pronounced “sounouk”, is more commonly known as Poisson Salé. It is an authentic Mauritian food with a distinctive salty taste. The English translation is Salted Fish; and the dish definitely goes by its name. The Snoek fish is dried and cured with salt, hence preserving it for eating later on.

What does snoek taste like?

Snoek is one of the great culinary pleasures of the Western Cape (the province surrounding Cape Town). The flesh is oily and presumably packed with all the health benefits that oily fish brings; the meat is firm and strongly flavoured, rather like mackerel on steroids.

Is snoek the same as barracuda?

Snoek and New Zealand Barracouta are the same species, but the label “snoek” gives the impression the fish is locally caught. Woolworths spokesperson Neeran Naidoo said: “We'd love to offer customers locally caught snoek.

What is the best fish to eat in South Africa?

Fish Buying Guide for South AfricaAngelfish. Description: Dry, firm flesh with a delicate sweet flavour. ... Carpenter (Silverfish, Silvers) Description: Firm white flesh. ... Deep-Sea Cape Hake. ... Dorado (Mahi Mahi) ... Dusky Kob (Kabeljou) ... Hottentot (Kaapse Galjoen, Black Bream) ... Kingklip. ... Mackerel (Atlantic)More items...•

What do they call snoek in Australia?

Barracouta (also known as snoek) is a species of snake mackeral found throughout the Southern Hemisphere. It is predominantly found in the cooler waters around the southern coasts of Southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand, although it occurs throughout the southern oceans.

What is cod fish called in South Africa?

HakeIn South Africa it is called "Hake"; in Spain it is known as "Merluza" and in the U. S. it is known as "Cape Capensis". Back when cod was cheap and haddock abundant (15 years ago!), capensis was sold in the U.S. as "Cape Whiting", a generic whitefish.

What fish is the healthiest to eat?

6 of the Healthiest Fish to EatAlbacore Tuna (troll- or pole-caught, from the US or British Columbia) ... Salmon (wild-caught, Alaska) ... Oysters (farmed) ... Sardines, Pacific (wild-caught) ... Rainbow Trout (farmed) ... Freshwater Coho Salmon (farmed in tank systems, from the US)

Is snoek high in mercury?

Examples of fish low in mercury include shrimp, canned tuna (in brine), salmon and snoek as these do not pose an increased health risk.

Is it good to eat fish everyday?

But is it safe to eat fish every day? “For most individuals it's fine to eat fish every day,” says Eric Rimm, professor of epidemiology and nutrition, in an August 30, 2015 article on Today.com, adding that “it's certainly better to eat fish every day than to eat beef every day.”

Why is snoek fish salty?

Snoek fish, pronounced “sounouk”, is more commonly known as Poisson Salé. It is an authentic Mauritian food with a distinctive salty taste. The English translation is Salted Fish; and the dish definitely goes by its name. The Snoek fish is dried and cured with salt, hence preserving it for eating later on.

General ecology

The common snook is a protandric hermaphrodite fish species. The common snook's spawning season appears to span the months of April to October, with the peak spawning occurring during July and August. Spawning typically occurs in near-shore waters with high salinities.

Distribution and habitat

C. undecimalis is widespread throughout the tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean from the coast of the North Carolina to Brazil including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Snook likely originated in Central America, and changes in the earth's climate brought the snook to Florida.

Human interest

Three United States Navy submarines have been named for this species, USS Robalo (SS-273) and USS Snook (SS-279) in the Second World War and USS Snook (SSN-592) in the 1950s.

Protection in Florida Gulf Coast

"At the June 2012 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) meeting, Commissioners voted to keep the recreational harvest of snook in Gulf of Mexico waters closed through Aug. 31, 2013. This closure will offer the species additional protection after a 2010 cold kill detrimentally affected the population.

Further reading

Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2004). " Centropomus undecimalis " in FishBase. October 2004 version.

How Big?

Snoek can grow up to 79” in length, and the biggest one caught weighed 13 lb. However, most of them stay within 30” and 6 lb.

When and Where

The first place to look for Snoek is near continental shelves or close to islands. It’s best represented in the fisheries of Uruguay, Argentina and South Africa. This includes places like Tierra del Fuego, Tristan da Cunha, and the St. Paul and Amsterdam islands.

How to Catch

As any angler with Snoek fishing experience will tell you - the best way to hook one up is by using a handline. This is a shoaling fish, so you’ll have your hands full as soon as you figure out the right depth. Of course, most anglers also have a classic rod on board too.

Good to Eat?

Not only is the Snoek tasty, but it’s got very high nutritional value. The traditional way of eating one in South Africa involves brushing it with lemon juice, olive oil, and just a tiny bit of curry powder before putting it on the barbecue.

Step 1

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to high heat. Check that the internal temperature of the grill reaches 600 degrees Fahrenheit. Try the hand test to see if the grill is hot enough. You should be able to hold your hand over the grill for only one to three seconds when the temperature is right.

Step 2

Use a pastry brush to paint all sides of the snook fillets with a small amount of a healthy oil, such as olive oil. Sprinkle the fish with a small amount of salt and pepper.

Step 3

Paint a small amount of oil on the hot grill grates to keep the fish from sticking.

Step 4

Place the snook fillets on the hot grill and cook for three to four minutes per side.

Step 5

Check with a fork that the inside of the snook is opaque and flaky. Remove the fish from the grill and place it on a serving platter.

Step 6

Serve the snook hot with a homemade salsa on top, which is healthier than an oil-based sauce.

Step 2

Sprinkle blackening spices on both sides of a snook fillet, pressing the spices into the fish. Make your own blackening mix to avoid the excess salt and preservatives in commercial blackening mixes.

Overview

General ecology

Distribution and habitat

Human interest

Protection in Florida Gulf Coast

Further reading

External links