Queen Fish (Saram)

Introduction

Queen fish – Saram is one of the abundant and commercially most used fish in Pakistan. Queen fish – Saram is a low-budget fish that is commonly used by fish fry joints and caterers. Queen fish is one of the large fish that is flat in appearance and hence yield beautiful fillet and boneless biscuits. Queen fish is abundant in Pakistan and is available at stable prices throughout the year.

Flavor Profile

Queen fish has firm, white meat with a satisfactory flavor, although tending towards dryness. Queen fish can perform well if cooked carefully with the best match of spices and herbs.

Nomenclature

English Name: Queen Fish
Local Name: Aal, Alri & Saram
Scientific Name: Scomberoides commersonnianus

Habitat

Queen Fish is a Sea fish that mainly lives in Reefs and offshore islands, usually in small groups.

Catching Method

Queen Fish is caught using Gillnets, Hook lines, & Bottom Trawl.

Physical Attributes

Queen Fish has Scales but these are impossible to notice with the naked eye and are hard to scrape off. Body strongly compressed with no scutes and no caudal peduncle grooves 8–15 (excluding rudiments) gill rakers on 1st-gill arch.

Color

Head and body are dusky green to bluish dorsally, grey to silvery below with large golden yellow shades sometimes.

Size

On average, the Queen Fish size range is 1 kg to 5 kg per fish. However, Other sizes are also occasionally available.

Cutting Preferences

Queen Fish is preferred for Slices, Boneless Fillets, Boneless Biscuits, and Boneless Fingers

Approx. Cutting Yields

• Whole: 100%
• Gutted: 82%
• Headless and Gutted: 65%
• Slices: 75%
• Boneless: 47%

Cooking Preferences

Queen Fish is preferred to Grill, BBQ, Fry, Steam, and Bake

Health Benefits

• Heart friendly
• Lowers Blood Pressure
• Improves Immune System
• Strengthens the bones
• Improves Skin and Hair health