Theblue grenadier(also known ashoki,blue hake,New Zealand whiptail,orwhiptail hake,Macruronus novaezelandiae) is amerluccid hakeof thefamilyMerlucciidaefound around southernAustraliaandNew Zealand,as well as off both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America fromPerutoBrazil[1]at depths of between 10 and 1,000 m (33 and 3,300 ft). It feeds in midwater on small squids,crustaceans,and fish. Its length is between 60 and 120 cm (24 and 47 in). It is a slender, silvery fish similar in appearance to thegemfish.The meat of the fish is white and almost always sold in fillets; culinarily it is considered awhitefish.[2]
| Blue grenadier | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Gadiformes |
| Family: | Merlucciidae |
| Genus: | Macruronus |
| Species: | M. novaezelandiae
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| Binomial name | |
| Macruronus novaezelandiae (Hector,1871)
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| Synonyms | |
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Commercial use
editAustralian supermarkets have many hoki products, mainly in pre-packaged processed foods. Often the manufactured meat result is manufactured into a fish cutlet shape and then battered or crumbed to further give a good fresh look.[citation needed]
The hoki is one of the species used inMcDonald'sFilet-O-Fish,Fish Fingers and McFish sandwiches.[3][4]It was previously served atLong John Silver'sandDenny'srestaurants in theUnited States,and continues to be served at Denny's in New Zealand.[3]
The blue grenadier is a very important commercial species in Australia.[5]They are mostly caught in the south-east, off southern New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia and are considered very good eating, particularly when fresh.[5]
Sustainable consumption
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The blue grenadier is the subject of a large commercial fishery industry in New Zealand, which has been certified by theMarine Stewardship Council(MSC) as well-managed and sustainable in March 2001. New Zealand has established afishing quotaof about 100,000 tons.[3]The first MSC certification ended in April 2007. Reassessment of the certification commenced in early 2005 and finished in October 2007.[6]A 2009New York Timesarticle raised questions over the sustainability of blue grenadier fishing practices around New Zealand,[7]though its conclusions were disputed by New Zealand representatives.[8]However, recent quotas on catches have been reduced by nearly two thirds from 275,000 to 100,000 tons.[citation needed]
In 2010,Greenpeace Internationaladded the blue grenadier (hoki) to its seafood red list.[9]TheRoyal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand(Forest & Bird) assigns hoki an E grade (red - avoid).[10]Both organisations state damage to the sea floor due to bottom trawling and bycatch of species such as New Zealand fur seals, albatrosses, petrels and basking sharks as the primary reasons for the ratings.[citation needed]
In September 2013, as New Zealand Hoki, it continued to appear on the MSC's list of sustainable fish.[11]
References
edit- ^Alfredo Carvalho-Filho; Guy Marcovaldi; Claudio L.S. Sampaio; M. Isabel G. Paiva (2011)."First report ofMacruronus novaezelandiae(Gadiformes, Merluccidae, Macruroninae) from Atlantic tropical waters "(PDF).Marine Biodiversity Records.4:e49.Bibcode:2011MBdR....4E..49C.doi:10.1017/S1755267211000431.
- ^"New Zealand Hoki".FishChoice.8 April 2013.
when cooked is more flavorful than most other whitefish due to its higher fat content.
- ^abcBroad, William(September 9, 2009),"From Deep Pacific, Ugly and Tasty, With a Catch",The New York Times
- ^Vasquez, Michael (August 24, 2009),"Fish or Fake? DNA Researcher Puts the 'Filet-O-Fish' to the Test",Miami Herald
- ^abBray, Dianne."Blue Grenadier, Macruronus novaezelandiae".Fishes of Australia.Retrieved26 August2014.
- ^"Meet the fishers."Marine Stewardship Council.No date. Accessed 2009-09-10
- ^Broad, William (September 9, 2009),"From Deep Pacific, Ugly and Tasty, With a Catch",The New York Times
- ^Gaines, Richard (September 22, 2009),"New York Times' report on food fish raises New Zealand industry's ire",Gloucester Daily Times
- ^Greenpeace International Seafood Red list.No date. Accessed 2012-03-11
- ^"Hoki -- The Best Fish Guide".Forest & Bird.Retrieved13 December2014.
- ^"Sustainable Seafood Shopping."Marine Stewardship Council.No date. Accessed 2013-09-28
Further reading
edit- Froese, Rainer;Pauly, Daniel (eds.)."Macruronus novaezelandiae".FishBase.April 2006 version.
- Ayling, Tony & Cox, Geoffrey (1982),Collins Guide to the Sea Fishes of New Zealand,Auckland, New Zealand: William Collins Publishers,ISBN0-00-216987-8