Local and imported fish sold in Singapore Fish markets

聖經舊約之首五卷 Leviticus / 利 未 記  11:9

Why do fish haves scales?

Get to know more about types anatomy of facinating fishes:

• Fish  cold blooded marine animals scientific name is poikilothermic that breathes through gills and are vertebrate. Fish can be found in freshwater, saltwater and brackish water.  NB brackish water are not dirty or black water, meaning salt water place in the Aquarium (fish tank) farm salt water fish, it is  contain salt which is not as concentrated  as the seawater and even the freshwater fish can be accomodated and live on healthy clean water. Fish has blood which is use to transfer oxygen, nutrients n wastes to different parts of the body just like any other species of animal.
• There are about three ways of reproduction in the fish kingdom :- Hermaphroditic (both male n female in a fish produce egg n sperms); Heterosexual (Separate male n female fish); Parthenogetic (female lays unfertilized eggs then with the male to get egg to stimulate or fertilize)
• There are about eight types of fish body shapes:-

Anguilliform has Eel like body, eg brook lamprey; Rice Eel. It is usually found hiding in very narrow opening which they catch their prey unnoticible, the body structure enables the fish to resist the force of current.

Fusiform are Torpedo-like body eg: blue Marlin, Tunas, Mackeral, swordfish, sailfish, are all fast swimmers, has tunniform topedo like locomotion

Compressiform has oval shape body eg giant sea bass, green sunfish, crappie, usually dwell in rock reefs, coral reefs, thickly vegetated areas and schools, in  freshwater deep-bodied fish. eg parrotfish

Globiform are ball-like or Globe-like body eg lump sucker, it is found in freshwater enviroment

Depressiform has flattened pancake like body eg bottom fish such as  flounder, halibut, rays, turbot, skates. It usually found resting on bottom sea bed. It hides itself in a layer of sand. They are known to be lie-in-wait predators. Usually does not swim Bladders.  Have two eyes on either Left or right eyed

Taeniform are ribbon-like body eg butterfish Gunnel, it hides in cracks n crevices, not a fast swimmer.

Filiform are long filament-like or thread like body eg: snipe Eel found in in freshwater enviroment

Sagittiform are arrow like body eg pikes, top-minnow, killifish, gars, salmom, trout needlefish n barracuda, the structure of the body has the advantage of rover predators

• Fish tail type: Airplane heterocercal tail(shark); Wavy short tail (ocean sunfish), Crescent or lunate tail (swordfish), Straightcut tail (quay's parrotfish); Forked tail (milkfish); Heart-shaped tail (lemon Damsel), three-lobed tail (Coelacanth), sword-like tail , skirt-like tail (siamese fishting fish)

Fish locomotion or swimming styles:

Anguilliform locomotion snake-like swim wiggle throught the water  has the body that are long, slender fish – eels, for example – there is little increase in the amplitude of the flexion wave as it passes along the body. It has thread like Filiform body

Sub-carangiform locomotion -  Bending body swim  is a more marked increase in wave amplitude along the body with the vast majority of the work being done by the rear half of the fish. In general, the fish body is stiffer, making for higher speed but reduced manouverability. Example Trout fish.

Carangiform locomotion - Fish in this group are stiffer and faster-moving The vast majority of movement is concentrated in the very rear of the body and tail. Carangiform swimmers generally have rapidly oscillating tails. Inventor adapt this type of locomotion for  Autonomous Robotic Fish whip-like swim (Black n white snapper)

Thunniform locomotion - Torpedo-like swim (tuna, yellowtail kingfish, mako 短鰭鮫鯊 n white sharks) are  high-speed long-distance swimmers, it has a semi-lunate (moon-shaped) caudal fin with a narrow caudal peduncle, and use an oscillation of the caudal fin with very little undulation of the rest of the body. It has Fusiform  is a streamlined n shaped like a plane fuselage body

Oar-like swim (spotted boxfish),

Types of Scales

All Scales are colourless and there are six main kinds of scales and numerous variations of each kind are they all kosher? Let's see.

1. Placoid Scales -  Non- Kosher, composed of a vascular (supplied with blood) inner core of pulp, unlike other scale fish they do not increase in size as the fish grows however new scales are added in the later years. Placoid Scales have a middle layer of denticle and a hard enamel-like outer layer of vitrodentine - Irregular Pattern, Bony, thorn-shaped, hard, partially embedded, sand paper texture, blood supply in pulp core, spiner pointed towards tail end; aggressive canivorous, could be man-eating fish. Placoid scales are found on cartilaginous fish such as  the Sharks, 安康魚 (Monkfish, Lophius americanus), numbfish, Manta Ray, Black dogfish, Green sawfish (綠鋸鯊 pristis Zijsron), Basking shark, Great hammerhead shark 巨雙髻鯊; Atlantic Guitarfish, skate . Inventors are discovering the use a robot with undulating fins attached to motors,  with the aim of eventual use in marine studies and surveillance operations.
2. Cosmoid scales - Non Kosher consist inner layer of the scale are made up of lameller bone; of two basal layers of bone, a layer of dentine-like material call cosmine, the upper surface is keratin and an outer layer of vitrodentine.similar to placoid scales eg lungfish.pirarucu, True cosmoid scales can only be found on the extinct Crossopterygians.  The coelacanth has modified cosmoid scales that lack cosmine and are thinner than true cosmoid scales. Also notice Cosmoid scaled fish have pelvic fins nearer towards the pectoral fins.
3. Ganoid Scales - non - Kosher Diamond  (rhomboid) shaped, Glossy, Bony, hard, Peg and socket joints between them. are covered with ganoin (similar in texture to fingernails), heavy, Non-overlapping, armour-like cannot be removed without tearing the skin. these fishes have weird body structures, slender long body shape, often aggressive.  Ganoid Scales can be found on gars (family Lepisosteidae; Lepisosteids); bichirs, Polypterids (reedfishes), Lepisosteids (gars) actinopterygians, the lungifsh, and the coelocanth have elasmoid scales lepidotrichia (bony ray) eg shortnose Gar, sturgeon poacher, snakehead, Bichir, Huso huso, lake sturgeon,
4. Cycloid and Ctenoid scales - Kosher are found in bony fishes (Teleostei) the word "ctenoid" comes from the Greek "cteno", meaning comb, and refers to the comb-like ctenii on the margin of the scale. ctenoid scales - having a patch of small prickles on the exposed rear part , often found in fish that have spiny fin rays while the cycloid scales - are roughly round in shape, without prickles. thin, external, smooth outer edges, transparent, overlapping scale, flexible, easily detachable skin remain undamage. Cycloid scales mostly found on Carps and salmons. The Cycloid and ctenoid scales increase its size as the fish grows, it also has growth rings call circuli visible to eye, similar like the rings of the tree trunk. There are Some fish may have cycloid or ctenoid scales at juvenile stage & may lose their scales at adult stage is consider non-kosher. These type of fish often look mild, gentle non aggressive, non toxic  eg mulet, rainbow trout, flatfish, Salmon, swallowtail seabream, rainbow smelt, grass carp, snook, walleye, Black drum, Black crappie, white perch, orange throat darter,
5. Tiny embeded scales - consist of very small scales; Some consider as Kosher such as tuna not quite visible to eye, fast topedo swimmer
6. Leptoid scales are found on the higher bony fishes and come in two forms, ctenoid and cycloid scales.

Facts how to select fresh fish?

Below Picture is an illustration design and presented by NTUC Fair Price Yishun South branch,

I like the well design graphic, you click on the picture to visit the Fair price website, various type of species are well set apart compartment and names of fish well label

• Fresh fish - You need to depend on  your senses, of your eye to see, hand to feel, and nose to smell. Check to see if the  gill are bright red. Dull red, dark maroon are not very fresh but edible, it must be consume immediately. If you want to keep stock up frozen fish buy the very fresh fish (price are may be higher). Ensure that  eye black ball is crystal clear , protruding, not cloudy or bloody or sunken eye. Cloudy or opaque eye sign of not fresh. make sure that the flesh is firm to the touch and the scales silvery white. I notice that some senior housewive smell the fish for the freshness. Wash the fish with salt water to purified the fish, drain salt away exessive blood stain  then Squeeze lemon juice over fish will keep the scale white and keep it firm, also it can get rid fishy smell .
• If you approach near some fish stall and smell fishy foul smell, likehood there are mixture fresh and not fresh fish, sometimes it may due to not sufficient ice preservation or poor drainage system. You have to be very selective and early marketing habit. Fish stall who are committed to selling fresh fish does not have fishy foul smell, practice good ice preservation and well organise drainage system. It come with a  higher maintaining cost and professionism.
• I usually like to go the wet market, that allows  you to pick, choose and bargain, do not be afraid to touch or feel the fish for yourselves, using plastic or tong does let you feel the freshness of the meat. with hands you know for sure you get fresh fish. NTUC Fairprice is good place to buy fish too, they have very good ice preservation and well organise drainage system, but prepack you can't feel the freshness with your hand or  smell it however you can still see the colour the meat. Best to buy on Tuesday early morning, Monday fish are left over fish sold the day before. To go on offer is Thursday, Friday or Saturday, check on the Straits time for offer for the day.
• Steam fish - depending on the size of the fish best cook about 3- 5 mins, some fish such as Salmon about 3 mins will do as it is edible raw. Be sure to defrost fish, boil the water until boiling point then place the fish in steamer, in that way will not over cook the fish, over cook fish meat are hard, dry and not tender, hard to eat.
• Nutrient diet Scale fish most of them have high protein value, age between 40 and above be sure check your protein intake level may not be suitable limited intake. Every species of fish has different of level of nutrient value. Particularly the Salmons are indeed kosher and are very good for growing children and young teenagers. Scale fish are best for those who may have seafood alergic less likely have toxic elements. Young Teenager age between 12 - 21 are encourage to commit themselves eating clean health food, less oily food such as deep fried, free from smoking, no alchohol, no drugs, clean heart , purity  prepare a healthy adult life to come.
• All fish are charge according to  the type of fish; are charge according the weight, Kosher fish, higher nutrient value fish, rare fish n  fish caught in the wild cost more, maintainance the freshness cost,  weather condition will affect the cost of fish, the level of freshness. All depends on what the budget  n affordablitiy of the customer.
• Want to eat clean healthy non- toxic fish and danger of over fishing, we should keep the sea, lake, rivers clean, do not litter as ultimately human suffer when the sea is contaminated. The ocean large fish species has been much decline due to overfish drive to extinct and danger of having the empty ocean. You visit this site to learn about Ocean Conservation Project or the Blue Ocean website

How can I know if a fish is kosher?

The Torah says that the simanim of kosher fish are “snapir v’ kaskeses”. However the Gemara tells us that all fish that have “kaskeses” have “snapir”, so in practice, all one needs to determine that a fish is kosher is that it has kaskeses! So what exactly is kaskeses?  “Kaskeses” is generally translated as scales. Nonetheless, not all scales are considered kaskeses. This is because the Ramban, in his commentary on the Torah tells us “kaskeses” are scales that can be easily removed by hand or with a knife without tearing the skin. Scales that are embedded in a fish (or are not visible to the naked eye) are not “kaskeses”. The Ramban’s definition is universally accepted, and in fact the Rema rules that those scales that cannot be easily removed (according to the parameters that will be discussed below) cannot be called “kaskeses”.

To check if a fish is kosher, one must ascertain that its scales could be properly removed.9 Scales are attached on the side to the fish on that side of the scale which is closer to the head and are not attached on the other side of the scale which is closer to the tail. To remove the scales, one must grasp that side that is not attached and gently pluck it off from the side of the fish.10 If removing the scale did not damage the skin, then the fish is kosher.  Scale fish must be place on separate compartment slope or tilted bench for better drainage, cover with more ice in warm climate like Singapore. The Scale fish should be  away from the non-kosher fish and other marine animals and cutting has to be kept separate. Be sure to wash the fish immediate after cutting, at home I would wash with salt water. Most Kosher fish are found in the Epi pelagic zone, you visit this link to learn about the Pelagic Zone.

Fish roes has the same kosher status as the fish they came from. It is important the roe fish remain where it came from and that no ingredient other than salt is is used.

NB Most Omega plus fish are Kosher healthy food. Our G_d the Creator of the universe knows what are best for human consumption. When we look at the anatomy, nature, survival instinct of Fishes in the scripture represent various personality, character behaviour, altitude of people. While the scale act as a shield of our faith, type of atoning covering see as the parable of the Great Banquet Matthew 22:1-13 (key verse:12-13), it  represents the Torah of G_D. Torah means Teaching and instruction. The fins is symbol of guidance, directional, having a bearing, a sense of direction, not wander aimlessly, or faith wavering, not easily misled, surest in our salvation in Yeshua,  being very objective and focusing, the fin often have very spiky device which act like the sword to defend themselves wiles of the evil forces.

猶太戒律清淨食物

Whether the fishes are  kosher   清洁可食or non-kosher　不清洁可食  it  may not completely be indicated as lack of sufficient information. Please refer to this site below for more information. 请注意 Kosher ／　清洁可食的 肉必须经过 Rabbi 认证,而且通常是用盐把里面的血吸出来.

Kosher 清淨食物名单 Kosher fish for consummers

Click here to view types of scale fish