Butterfish – Nutritional Value, Health Benefits, Recipes

Butterfish contains 15 species of fish in three genera. Butterfishes live in coastal waters off the Americas, western Africa and in the Indo-Pacific. The endemic New Zealand species Odax pullus is commonly called butterfish but is from a separate family Odacidae. The Japanese butterfish Psenopsis anomala is from the separate f

Butterfish are actually fast-growing, short-lived, pelagic fishes that form loose schools, often near the surface. It is a thin, deep-bodied, more or less oval, and silvery fish of the family Stromateidae (order Perciformes). They are found in warm and temperate seas and are categorized by a small mouth, forked tail, and a single dorsal fin. Like the related rudderfishes (Centrolophidae) and man-of-war fishes (Nomeidae), they also have unusual, toothed-out pocketing in the esophagus.

The delicate and delicious butterfish is endemic to New Zealand and is a source of several nutrients important for human health, including iodine. Some of the characteristic features of butterfish are blunt noses, small mouths with weak teeth, absence of ventral fins, one long, continuous dorsal fin, long pectoral fins, and tiny, cycloid scales. The tail fin is nearly as long as the dorsal fin and deeply forked. The American butterfish is comparable in appearance to its close relative, the harvestfish (Peprilus lepidote), but can be distinguished by its much lower dorsal and tail fin. This fish is a lead-blue color above with pale sides and a silvery belly. It often has dark, irregular spots.

The largest butterfish is about 12 inches long; the general run is about 6 to 9 inches long. The weight runs about 1¾ ounces at 6 inches, 4 to 4½ ounces at 8 inches; about 1 pound at 11 inches (if fat). The largest weighs about 1¼ pounds. Butterfish normally feed on planktonic prey like coelenterates, thaliaceans, polychaetes, mollusks, crustaceans, and small fishes. Ctenophores have been found in butterfish stomachs at Woods Hole, though these watery objects are not a regular item in its diet.

Butterfish consists of a good amount of protein which makes them less likely to contribute to weight gain. Each 3-ounce serving of butterfish offers 19 grams of protein or 38 percent of the recommended daily intake. Protein slows down the emptying of food from the stomach so that you feel full for longer after a meal. That means you may feel less hungry at the next meal and eat fewer calories.

History

Butterfish are widespread in New Zealand and occur from North Cape to the Snares Islands. The species is also reported from the Chatham, Bounty, and Antipodes Islands. Butterfish are more common from Cook Strait southwards. They inhabit rocky coastlines and are commonly found among seaweed beds in moderately turbulent water. Their main depth range is 0–20 m. They occur shallower (to 10 m) in the north than in Cook Strait (to 20 m) and in southern waters, they can be found as deep as 40 m.

Population Status

• According to the 2020 stock assessment, butterfish are not overfished and not subject to overfishing. Summary stock assessment information can be found on Stock SMART.
• Scientists at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center survey the abundance of butterfish off the East Coast.
• They added temperature and habitat information into the stock assessment model, which helps them more accurately estimate fish abundance. Using this approach, the model indicated that the population was more abundant than previously estimated.
• Incorporating this type of environmental information into stock assessments will become increasingly important as the climate changes and the oceans warm.

Appearance

Biology

Where They Live

Fishery Management

Harvest

Proximity	Amount	% DV
Water	23.72 g	N/D
Energy	47 Kcal	N/D
Energy	196 kJ	N/D
Protein	5.53 g	11.06%
Total Fat (lipid)	2.57 g	7.34%
Ash	0.38 g	N/D

Minerals	Amount	% DV
Calcium, Ca	7 mg	0.70%
Iron, Fe	0.16 mg	2.00%
Magnesium, Mg	8 mg	1.90%
Phosphorus, P	77 mg	11.00%
Potassium, K	120 mg	2.55%
Sodium, Na	28 mg	1.87%
Zinc, Zn	0.25 mg	2.27%
Copper, Cu	0.017 mg	1.89%
Manganese, Mn	0.005 mg	0.22%
Selenium, Se	11.7 µg	21.27%

Vitamins	Amount	% DV
Water-soluble Vitamins
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)	0.038 mg	3.17%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)	0.048 mg	3.69%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)	1.44 mg	9.00%
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)	0.24 mg	4.80%
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)	0.096 mg	7.38%
Vitamin B9 (Folate)	5 µg	1.25%
Folate, food	5 µg	N/D
Folate, DEF	5 µg	N/D
Vitamin B-12 (Cobalamine)	0.61 µg	25.42%
Fat-soluble Vitamins
Vitamin A, RAE	10 µg	1.43%
Vitamin A, IU	32 IU	N/D
Retinol	10 µg	N/D

Lipids	Amount	% DV
Fatty acids, total saturated	1.082 g	N/D
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	1.082 g	N/D
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	0.189 g	N/D
Cholesterol	21 mg	N/D

Amino acids	Amount	% DV
Tryptophan	0.062 g	14.09%
Threonine	0.243 g	13.81%
Isoleucine	0.255 g	15.25%
Leucine	0.45 g	12.18%
Lysine	0.508 g	15.19%
Methionine	0.164 g	N/D
Cystine	0.059 g	N/D
Phenylalanine	0.216 g	N/D
Tyrosine	0.187 g	N/D
Valine	0.285 g	13.49%
Arginine	0.331 g	N/D
Histidine	0.163 g	13.23%
Alanine	0.334 g	N/D
Aspartic acid	0.566 g	N/D
Glutamic acid	0.826 g	N/D
Glycine	0.266 g	N/D
Proline	0.196 g	N/D
Serine	0.226 g	N/D

*Above mentioned Percent Daily Values (%DVs) are based on 2,000 calorie diet intake. Daily values (DVs) may be different depending upon your daily calorie needs. Mentioned values are recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They are not healthbenefitstimes.com recommendations. Calculations are based on average age of 19 to 50 years and weigh 194 lbs. Source: https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ 

How to Eat

• Small fish can be dipped whole in flour and deep-fried.
• Larger fish can be split, then broiled, baked, grilled, or sautéed

How to Cook Butterfish

Things You’ll Need

• 6 ounces butterfish fillets
• Paper towel
• Salt and pepper
• Grill pan
• Non-stick cooking spray
• Serving platter

Method

• Rinse the butterfish in cold water and pat the outside dry with a paper towel.
• Season both sides of the fish with salt and pepper. Allow the fish to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Spray a grill pan with non-stick cooking spray and preheat it to medium heat.
• Place the butterfish fillets in the grill pan and cook them for three minutes. Flip the fish and cook another three minutes on the other side.
• Remove the fish from the pan and place it on a platter to rest for 10 minutes before serving so the fish will be moist.

Other Facts

• Butterfish are important food fish and have been harvested commercially since the 1800s. In the early 1900s, they were used primarily as fertilizer but were discovered to be a fish suitable for eating as well.
• Often used as bait in recreational fishing, butterfish is a favorite food source for large game fish such as tuna.

Precautions 

• The consumption of sea fish if one is trying to reduce inflammatory diseases such as heart disease.
• Farmed ones contain arsenic that leads to arsenic poisoning.
• Seafood should be cooked safely in order to prevent foodborne illness.
• Pregnant women, young children, older adults, people having lower stomach acid and compromised immune systems (HIV/AIDS, liver disease, cancer, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, people taking steroids, chemotherapy, or immune system) are prone to higher risk.
• It might be contaminated with bacteria such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus, and other bacteria relate to land use, sewage discharges, runoff, etc. These microorganisms occur naturally in warm coastal waters which could cause even death or serious illness in individuals who are at higher risk.
• Listeria monocytogenes could cause a serious foodborne illness known as listeriosis.
• The virus Hepatitis A could survive in light cooking. So one should consume it after being properly cooked.
• Fish could have toxins that could cause illness such as ciguatoxin and scombrotoxin, or histamine poisoning.
• Sea fish is related to Scombrotoxin (histamine) which develops when fish is not kept cold enough. The symptoms develop quickly and also disappear completely within 24 hours.
• The flesh of tropical marine fishes might cause ciguatera poisoning experiencing gastrointestinal maladies that could last for several days, weakness in arms and legs, and reversal inability to differentiate between cold and hot. The symptoms could persist for weeks.
• Farmed seafood results in to increase in inflammation leading to weight gain, arthritis, and heart diseases.
• The imbalance ratio of Omega-6 and Omega-3 causes heart disease and hypertension.
• Seafood and fish in farms have polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organophosphorus (OPs), organochlorine (OC), trifluralin pesticides, and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) causing diseases or even death.
• The seafood has a high content of mercury, which may lead to mercury toxicity.
• Consume it in moderate amounts. So consume it with caution or Avoid consuming it raw.
• Some people might get allergic reactions. So avoid it.
• It has a high chance of contamination.
• One should limit its intake.
• Consult the doctor by pregnant women and children before consuming it. Children and pregnant women should avoid it because the high content of mercury might cause a negative impact on the development of the nervous system of a fetus.
• Seafood or fish have purines in it which is harmful to people having purine-related problems. Excess purines result in an excess buildup of uric acid that could lead to the formation of kidney stones as well as gout.

References

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