Pomfret Fish

The pomfret fish is also known as paplet fish in English. The pomfret fishes belong to the family Bramidae of order Perciformes. There are about 35 species of marine pomfret fishes. The big vaval fishes are widely distributed in the  Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. Most of the Pomfret Fish are relatively rare. Some members in the family Bramidae have characteristics like their single dorsal fin extending the length of the body. Some species have deep-bodied and deeply forked tails. The young pomfrets have different marks on their bodies and fins.  The scientific name of the blunt-headed Pacific pomfret is Brama japonica and they are abundantly found throughout the North Pacific. The bigscale pomfret fish scientific name is Taractichthys longipinnis and are found in the Atlantic Ocean. This is one of the largest species in the family, whose length can range from about 90 cm. This article is about the characteristics of the pomfret fish. 

[Image will be Uploaded Soon]

Genera of Pomfret Fish

Pomfret fishes are classified and kept under eight genera. The four genera are the major among them. 

They are:

• Brama

• Eumegistus

• Pterycombus

• Taractichthys

The Brama genus has many species of big vaval fish. They contain eight distinguished species of fish. 

Types of Pomfret Fish Depends on Habitat 

Atlantic Pomfret

The Atlantic Pomfret fish is one of the most important species of pomfret in commercial fishing. They are also termed as Black sea bream or Angel fish. Usually, the Atlantic pomfret fishes spend their life in the depth of  1,000 meters. The major feed for these Atlantic pomfrets are mollusks and other smaller fishes. They are widely distributed over the region of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. 

The scientific name of the Atlantic pomfret fishes is ‘Brama brama’. This is one of the largest fish in the family Bramidae. They can grow up to the length of about 1 metre. This is one of the popular food items for people residing in China and other people in South Asia.

Pacific Pomfret

The pacific pomfret fishes are the deep-bodied fishes and they consist of deeply forked tails. The physical characteristics of young fishes of pacific pomfrets show wide variation from their adults in fin and body shape. The scientific name of the pacific pomfrets is Brama japonica, which belongs to the Blunt-headed varieties. The Pacific Pomfrets can be found on a large scale in the North Pacific region. 

Indian Pomfret

The pomfret fishes are one of the most popular items on the menu of Indians. The Indian Pomfrets can be encountered on a large scale from the tropical sea of the Indo-pacific area. Further, the Indian pomfret fish can spot on all the coasts of the Indian subcontinent. They are mainly found in Gujarat, Coasts of Bombay, Orissa and the Eastern coast of West Bengal. 

Types of Pomfret Fish Based on Colours 

On the coast of the Indian subcontinent, the three species of Pomfret fishes can encounter. They are listed below. 

• Black Pomfret

• Grey Pomfret

• Silver Pomfret

The Silver Pomfret fish is one of the most common species among all three, followed by Black pomfret and Grey pomfret. The Pampus argentius can be widely found on the west and east coasts of India.

Silver Pomfrets

The scientific name of silver pomfrets are Pampus argentus or Pampus argentius , they are widely found in India. These fish can attain their maturity at 27-28 cm and further, they can grow up to the maximum size of about  33 cm. The spawning season falls between October to December along the coast of Mumbai. Can encounter the young one of the Silver Pomfrets from January to March also the Inshore areas. The suitable time to catch the older fishes is from April to June. 

List of Unique Physical Characteristics of the Silver Pomfrets. 

• Looks nearly rhomboidal in shape

• Silver pomfrets have blunt nose 

• They have single long dorsal fins

• They have caudal fins with long lobes. 

• They have pointed and highly extended lower caudal lobes. 

The older fishes have short lobes, while the younger fish have high lobes. The fully matured Pampus argentus, is silvery-white in colour with tiny silvery scales on its body. The colour of the silvery-white fishes may turn black while they are attaining five to eight centimetres in length.  On average, this fish can grow up to the weight of one kilogram and thirty centimetres long. As per the study, the largest recorded Silver Pomfret was about two kilograms in weight and their approximate length was about forty centimetres. The silver pomfret is one of the offshore creatures and usually prefers to live at a depth of 20-40 fathoms. They widely exist in the middle column of water but closer to the bottom.

Grey Pomfret Fish

The scientific name of the Grey Pomfret is Pampus Sinesis. The Grey pomfret fishes are larger, heavier and they have broader in size than the silver pomfret. They also consist of shooter caudal lobes. Usually, the Pampus Sinesis are in grey colour. They can be more widely encountered from the Gulf of Kutch than in the southern regions of India. 

Black Pomfret Fish

The scientific name of the black pomfret fish is Parastromateus niger.  The Black pomfrets are larger in size and have elongated bodies than the silver variety. As per the record, the largest black pomfret fish are about sixty centimetres long and weigh five kilograms. The colour of the Parastromateus niger is dark grey colour. The black pomfret fishes have hard slender tail regions and are covered with scutes or thick scales.

Characteristics of Pomfret Fish

All the species of the pomfret fishes have a similar appearance. The body of the fish is in a teardrop shape with a wide head, which tapers back towards the tail. Some species have short fins, some species have quite long dorsal and anal fins with their upper and lower sides. The size of each species may vary and the average length of the fishes are about one to two feet.  

All the species of the pomfret fishes have their unique range and distribution. Some species were spread over an ocean and some species just occupy a small range in the ocean. They usually prefer to live in groups and they are spread over the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. These species can find more in the sea of Japan, the Mediterranean and the Norwegian Seas.

The pomfret fishes follow carnivorous feeding habits. Depending on the size of the pomfret fish, they primarily select their prey and their individual dietary may vary. The pomfret fish are also known as paplet fish in English. The main prey for big vaval fishes are small fish, squid, plankton, shrimp and other cephalopods and crustaceans. To obtain pomfret from freshwater, they require suitable pressure and salinity in water.  

Usually, the pomfret fishes are not usually domesticated. But some farmers are cultivating them in their field by following unique methods. The pomfret from freshwater is difficult. The pomfret fishes cannot be kept as pets as they prefer deep water to reproduce.  People also do not keep in aquariums as they require deep habitats and high-pressure conditions to have a comfortable environment. 

Each species of pomfret fishes have their own behaviour patterns. Most types of pomfret fishes prefer to live in groups known as schools. The size of the schools may vary from species to species. The size of the schools completely depends on the availability of food sources and seasonal migrations. 

Many researchers are trying to find out the reproduction cycle of pomfret fish, but still much information about their reproduction rates and behaviours remains unknown. The schools of the pomfret fishes are bred through the spawning process.  During the spawning process, the female fishes release their eggs and the male fishes fertilize their eggs outside the body. The amount of the eggs will vary depending on the size of the individual species. 

Interesting Facts About the Pomfret

Most of the pomfrets fishes have a number of unique traits and characteristics. Their characteristics are listed below. 

People in different regions are calling the fishes with different names. Denmark people named Havbrasen. German people named the fish Brachsen Makrele. Spain and Italy people named pomfret fish Castanola. In the Netherlands it is Braam. 

Many species of the pomfret fish play important roles in the aquatic food chain. Large predatory fish like tuna, marlin and swordfish are also dependent on the pomfret fish as a food source. 

Pomfret fish occupies an important place in the menu of Hawaiian Cuisine. The dishes prepared from pomfret fishes are also known as “monchong”. They are often found around the coastal areas of Hawaii. 

Health Benefits of Pomfret 

The flesh of pomfret has a light texture and sweet, rich flavour. They have high good fats so they are also known as butterfish. The pomfret fishes are a great source of calcium, vitamin A, Vitamin D and Vitamin B. The vitamin B12 present in these fishes plays an important role in nervous system development. They also offer high iodine to the body, which is critical for the thyroid gland. They are important brain food and good for improving eyesight and healthy hair and skin. This fish is a very good source of protein and they are capable of providing about 15% of the omega 3 fatty acids. Consuming omega 3 fatty acid products are helping to promote cardiovascular health by increasing heart rate variability.

The women planning for pregnancy, pregnant women and children up to the age of six years also can take fish in limited quantities. Can avoid intaking milk with the fish to improve the digestion process. As the pomfret fish are a good source for high cholesterol, shallow fry or steamed fish are recommended. The white flashes in the fish have low fat while compared to the other animal products. Fish can provide a significant amount of all the essential nutrients to the human body.  

Pomfrets have low bad cholesterol, which is rich in red meat. The omega 3 fatty acid present in the pomfret fishes can help to maintain cardiovascular health and also play an important role in maintaining blood clots and vessel constriction. Further, they are important for prenatal and postnatal neurological development. They are also playing an important role in cardiac arrhythmia, reducing depression and halting the mental decline in older people. 

The pomfret fishes have high nutritionist values and can provide all the required nutrients for human growth. They also have vitamin B, calcium, amino acids, zinc, thallium, iron, phosphorus and other essential proteins.