BY PRODUCTS OF FISH AND PRAWN

INTRODUCTION

Fisheries are consumed as food in fresh condition. Some of them are also utilized after
the preservation. During preservation and processing, some material of fish and prawn are
discarded as waste. Similarly some trash and distasteful fishes are unsuitable for human
consumption. There waste material of fish and above fishes become an important source to
produce fish by-products by which in turn are used to product different useful fish by-products
are described in detail.

1. FISH MEAL

The waste obtained after the fish processing for oil extraction is called as fish meal. It is prepared
either by wet or dry processing, depending on the raw material. The good quality fish meal is
used for animal feeding and other is used as manure. The chemical composition of fish meal has
5 0-70% proteins, 5-10% fats, 10-20% minerals and 6-12% moisture.
The fish meal is considered as very rich source of proteins. Calcium
5%, phosphorous 4%, a variable amount of iodine and vitamins B1, B12 ,
A, D, K are also found in fish meal, which promotes the growth of
animals. It constitutes a valuable source of feed for farm animals. In dry
method the fish meal is exposed to high temperature like in flame dryers or in steam drums under
partial vacuum. In wet method large sized fishes are chopped and boiled to extract oil. These are
then covered with canvas and screw-pressed to from the cakes. Dried cakes are pressed in
hydraulic pressure to recover oil and are re dried in steam, before being sterilized and packed for
marketing. The fish meal is stored in gunny or coir bags as they are insect and vermin proof. The
tin containers under an atmosphere of nitrogen are also employed.

The fish meal of inferior quality is used as manure in tea, coffee and tobacco plantations.
The spoiled fish can also used as manure. The fish manure contain N-5-7, P2O5-4-6 and Ca O-4-
6%. Fish waste is buried in pits for 35 – 60 days, then dried, fermented and used as manure
which is known as pit manure.

2. FISH OILS

The oils from the fish are obtained by

extracting from the entire body of the fish or only
from the liver. The oil obtained from the entire
body are known as body oils and are grouped
into drying and semi drying oil. The drying oil
comprises oils of sardine, salmon, herring,
mackerel, anchovy, and white fish, while the oils
Dr.C.V.Narasimha murthy. Associate professor (Contract), VSUPGCenter,Kavali. M.Sc.Zoology, notes-2016
of sprat and carp constitute semidrying oils are due to low iodine content. The body oil is edible
and used for industrial purposes. Liver oil extracted from the live, is of medicinal importance and
contains vitamin A. the flesh with rich oil content possess liver with flesh with low oil content.

Freshly extracted oils are differently colored from colour less to golden yellow, greenish
yellow or even red. The oil extracted from the stale fish is darker in colour and concentration of
the oil also varies from fresh to stale along with iodine content. The fish oils differ very much in
their composition and against the comparable oil of other terrestrial animal and vegetable fats.
The fish oils are much more complex and the fatty acids are composed of chain lengths varying
from c- 14 to c-22 and in some instances even C-24 higher chain lengths are not uncommon.
These fish oil have also varying degrees of unsaturation ranging from mono upon penta (5) and
have 6 ethylenic acids. Oils of marine fish varieties have a higher concentration of C-20 and C-
22 and lower concentration of only 15-20% C-18 acids. The fatty acid composition higher
proportion unsaturated C-20 and especially C-22 acids.

The fish oils comprise a mixture of triglycerides which are

comparatively more complex. Simple triglyceride is a compound
containing three different fatty acids although occasionally two
radicals of the same fatty acids are found over a single glyceride
molecule. The live oils are rich in its constituent. The unsaponifiable
matter is comprised of a variety alcohols and other hydrocarbons.
All fish oils contain cholesterol.

3. LIVER OIL
SHARK LIVER OIL

Fish live oil consists of vitamin A mainly and Din some species. These vitamins maybe
formed due to metabolic activities which might have been made their way into the liver in 0.1 to
2.4% in cod than in other liver oils i.e., 80% in few sharks.

The livers of fishes are grouped into three classes depending upon the commercial utility
viz High oil content with low vitamin A potency in cods with 60-75% of oil and 500 to 20,000
IU/g. vitamin A potency. Low oil content with high vitamin A potency in large tuna with 25-
75% of oil and 3,00,000 IU/g. vitamin A potency.

Vitamin A mainly gets stored in the liver. But in large fishes this vitamin gets
accumulated in viscera also in addition to liver. The age, sex, availability of food, season, etc.,
ply an important role in the activity of vitamin A and can be obtained from the large sized fish
within a given species. No such correlation of size and concentration of vitamin A can be made
among the fish of different species. The dark colored liver in sharks yields higher concentration
of vitamin A than the light colored ones Vitamin A which is associated with the protein of the
live and partly with the oil exists as fatty acid esters (96 – 100%).vitamin A comprises vitamin
Dr.C.V.Narasimha murthy. Associate professor (Contract), VSUPGCenter,Kavali. M.Sc.Zoology, notes-2016
A2 which is 40% active as A1. Vitamin A1 is of greater importance in
view of its availability in commercial scale.

Three cis- isomers viz. neovitamin A, ‘iso-a and ‘iso-b‘have

been isolated from the olive oils but are less potent than vitaminA1.
Some fish liver oils are rich in vitamin D. tuna liver oil and cod liver oil
contain 2,50,000; 500 unit per farm of oil respectively. Vitamin D
content is available in greater quantity where the oil is less in the liver.
The vitamin D is presents in the form of D3, available partly any
oxidation of vitamin A. hydrocarbons, cholesterol, pigments, fatty
glycerol alcohol and other from various constituents of the oil besides
glycerides.

4. FISH BODY OIL

The whole fish is processed to obtain the fish meal and the body oil. Commercially
important oils include sardine, herring and salmon oils. The fish with rich oil content and low oil
content are processed through wet and dry processes respectively.

In the wet process the fish is crushed to a pulp and cooked with steam continuously in vertical
cylindrical cooker. The cooked material is pressed and oil along with a mixture of fish soluble
known as stick water is drawn into settling tanks and later passed through centrifugal to separate
the oil. The material after the extraction of oil is dried, powdered and marketed as fish meal.

In dry process, fishes with low oil content are processed as the oil recovery is low. The fillet
waste and shark carcasses are disintegrated in a grinder and cooked under regular stirring in a
cylinder heated by steam. The oil is then pressed out.

Raw oils have a disagreeable odour and taste. Through hydrogenation this can be
eliminated or minimized. Free acids are neutralized by caustic soda and the oil is deodorized by
superheated steam at reduced pressure and finally dehydrated by heating at 105oC. Seasonal
fluctuations in the oil content of different species have been observed. This variation may be
related directly with availability of food. Presence or absence of the din flagellates and the
copepods in the plankton has contributed to the variation in fat content.

The oil consisting of fatty acids and the glycerides after deodorization and hydrogenation
are used for edible purpose. Oils with low iodine content are used in the preparation of laundry
soap, cheaper grade toilet soap, etc. sulphonation, polymerization, saponification are the
processes followed in getting excellent quality soap. Fish oils are used in the leather industry in
making leather flexible. Oil with high iodine content is used in application of paint, varnish, etc.
Heat treated fish oils and destearinate fish oils mixed with driers are used in blends with linseed
or tung oil since it gives flexibility and heart resistant films. The other important uses of fish oil
Dr.C.V.Narasimha murthy. Associate professor (Contract), VSUPGCenter,Kavali. M.Sc.Zoology, notes-2016
are manufacture of candles, lubricants, cutting oils, cosmetics
and pharmaceuticals, rubber substitutes, water proofing
compositions, printing links and core oils. Oil containing
vitamins are used in animals and poultry feeds. Fish oil acts as
fungicides when applied to citrus trees. Fatty acids of the oils are
suitable for concentrating low grade iron ores.

5. Fish Manure

The dried and putrefied fishes are used for the preparation of
fish manure. Fish manure are prepare as mentioned in fish meal. Prawn
are also prepare in similar way from the left out things like head tail,
appendages and body shell. It contains 5-6% of nitrogen, 3 – 4% of
phosphates and traces of lime. Fish guano is prepared from the fish
material left after the extraction of oil. It contains 8 – 10 % of nitrogen and considered a rich
nutrient for the plans.

6. FISH FLOUR

Fish meal is prepared by solvent extraction process on commercial

scale. This can be blended with wheat or maize flour and is used as
enriching component in bread, biscuits, cakes, sweets and soups. It
forms an ideal protein supplement to human diets. Groupers and seer
fishes are used commonly for preparation of fish flours.

7. FISH FLAKES/WAFER

Thread fin breams and cat fishes are used in the preparation of flakes or wafers. Fish flesh is
boiled, and then mixed with maida, salt, etc. to prepare flakes or wafers.

8. FISH STICKS

Body shell and digestive tract are removed from prawn body and boiled for 15 minutes in
7% salt solution. Fishes are cleaned and cut into 10 cm length and 1 cm width pieces. These are
dipped in egg, maida, salt mixture, and then added to bread power to prepare sticks.

9 .FISH SALADS

The fishes are cleaned and pieces are boiled with steam. The boiled fish or
prawns are mixed with tomatoes, salt, garlic, maida, pepper and oil to
prepare fish salad. This can be used in fresh condition or can be stored.

10. FISH SAUSAGE

Dr.C.V.Narasimha murthy. Associate professor (Contract), VSUPGCenter,Kavali. M.Sc.Zoology, notes-2016

 Fish flesh is ground and mixed with sugar, fats, masala and preservatives. Small bags are
prepared with above mixture and boiled to prepare fish sausage.

11 FISH CAKES

Tuna and mackerels are used commonly to prepare fish cakes. Fishes are cleaned and
steam boiled, the separated in layers. Potatoes are boiled with salt, pepper and citric acid.
Layered fish are mixed with the above mixture and packed in vacuum to prepare fish cakes.

12. FISH SILAGE

The fish is mixed with formic acid, sulphuric acid and molasses resulting in the formation
of semi stuff. This silage is preferred over fish meal since the vitamins are doing not produce fish
odour.

13. Isinglass

Isinglass is the carefully washed and dried fish sounds or air bladders, made into special
dorms by mechanical means. Russian isinglass from sturgeon is the best. Air bladders are split
open and carefully washed with cold or warm water to remove blood, membrane and other
extraneous matter. If dried previously, they are soaked in water for several days, with frequent
changes of water to soften them and permit removal of membranes. They are then dried in large
trays. The later processing done in cold weather, as higher temperature melts and decomposes
the isinglass. Weather, as higher temperature melts and decomposes the isinglass. They are
soaked in water, chopped into small places, and passed through rollers (hollow cylinders, with
running cold water) a scraper removes isinglass in strips 1/8" to 1/4 “ thick and 6” to 8" wide,
and of desired length. They are then pressed through ribbon rollers, from which the sheets
emerge 1/64" thick. The ribbons are quickly dried, to prevent putrefaction and rolled on wooden
spools into coils, weighing less than a pound each.

Isinglass does not dissolve in water, but merely swells slowly and absorbs some water,
but not as much as gelatin. Isinglass is collagen. When heated with water, but not as much as
gelatin. Isinglass is collagen. When heated with water, it hydrolyses to from gelatin which
dissolves upon cooling, it becomes a tough gel (resembling animals gelatin gels) a clear,
colorless glue of great adhesiveness. Isinglass is insoluble water and has a fishy odour. But
isinglass has little insoluble salt and ash.

For cleaning of wine and beer, the isinglass is first

made to become swollen in water, and then in wine, till it is
transparent. It is thoroughly beaten with more wine, after
which a little tartaric acid is added. The isinglass is then
strained through lines and stirred into the bulk of wine. The

Dr.C.V.Narasimha murthy. Associate professor (Contract), VSUPGCenter,Kavali. M.Sc.Zoology, notes-2016

solution is not heated and so the isinglass does not dissolve although disintegrated into fine
suspension. Its fibrous nature is not destroyed but entangles in its meshes the colloidal bodies
that produce undesirable turbidity; A small does is enough to clarify the wine.

14. FISH GLUE

The fish glue industry is one of the minor by - product Industry in USA, England,
Norway and Japan. The great obstacle confronting this industry is obtaining a regular supply of
suitable glue stock in sufficient qualities.

The conversion of animal skin and bones into gelatin has been the subject of many
researches. The hydrolysis of fish sounds, or air bladders not merely resemble the manufacture of
glue for when the tissue is heated with water. It dissolves. And upon evaporating and cooling the
resultant solution forms a gel which is a gelatin of high purity. Fish skin and bones contain much
collagen and other similar proteins. Upon careful hydrolysis with steam, or boiling water, the
collagen and other related proteins yield gelatin. Fish glue is soluble in cold water, while hide
glues merely swell in cold water and do not dissolve unit the water is heated.

Waste products of cod, haddock, etc., form the raw materials for
the manufacture of fish glue. They are ordinarily graded as head, waste
and skin stock. The skin of cold fish is thicker, and yield large amounts
of a better grade of fish glue, than haddock. Skin yields 70 gallons of
glue per ton; head 25 gallons, and wastes 25 gallons. The stock must be
free from salt or be fresh use. It is agitated in running water free of
chlorides, and pitched into cookers. A preservative is added to prevent
the decomposition of the glue liquors, during strong. A small amount of acetic acid or other
moderately strong acid is also added to act as catalyst, to hasten hydrolysis. The stock is covered
with water, steam turned into the outer jacket, and cooking continued for 6 to 10hours. The glue
liquor is drained off, pumped into tanks and then into evaporator is the most efficient though
evens heated with steam coils are also used and treating continued till proper viscosity is
attained.

Best grade is used (i) for photo-engraving and half tone plates (ii) as flexible glue for
court plaster, stamps, labels and book binding (iii) ready to use adhesive in shoe repairs, etc., (iv)
as belt cement for leather cements, with hide glue (v) sizing operation and (vi) chipping of glass
and for translucent glass and furniture works.

15 Fish Proteins

The proteins of the fish have high digestibility, biological and growth promoting value.
Hence, it plays an important role in human nutrition. The available amino acids are more evenly
balanced than the other proteins of animal’s origin. Amino acids like lysine and methionine are
Dr.C.V.Narasimha murthy. Associate professor (Contract), VSUPGCenter,Kavali. M.Sc.Zoology, notes-2016
rich in fish protein. In general fish, protein is somewhat superior to egg albumen, bean protein
and casein and perhaps equal; to chicken proteins. 15 – 25 % of protein is obtained from the

Fish muscle which forms the chief source. About 95% of available protein can be obtained by
using sodium chloride solution. The proteins present in the cells i.e. intracellular consist of
myosin 66-75%, myogen 6%, myoalbumin 7%, globulin 8%, etc., along with collagen and
elastin contributing to stroma proteins together with crude protein of 3 % of total proteins, and
other proteins including nucleoproteins and hemoglobin.

The fish proteins are extracted with dilute caustic soda solution from fish fillets or waste
after removing the fat. The extracted material id dried after neutralization. This power is white in
colour without any fish odour and taste containing 80 -90 % of solubulized protein. This is used
as a substitute for white of the egg in baking, confectionary, ice cream and pharmaceutical
products. This is also used in paint, varnish, textile, paper, cosmetics, molding powder and foam
type extinguishers. Hydrolyzed fish protein can be extracted from the flesh of Indian sharks and
rays. The 85% of protein content, a cream colored product, is obtained in yield of 10 % of the
raw material. It is easily soluble in water and as greater whipping power than that of egg
albumen and good keeping quality.

16 SHARK FINS

The fins of the large sharks except caudal fin are cut near the root, washed in seawater,
mixed with wood ashes and lime and dried in the sun or smoked, this products which is crisp and
brittle are used in soups and regarded as delicacy in china and
Philippines.

17 FISH ROE

Fish roe is a good source of vitamins B, C, D and E in

addition to various amino acids present. Via thymine, carline, creation, taurine, tyrosine,
xanthine and hypoxanthine. Fish roe fat possesses high lecithin, (50%) and cholesterol (14%).
Roe protein is colorless and tasteless with digestibility coefficient and biological value at 81 and
88 % respectively. It is used in various food products and for the manufacture of glue and
synthetic fiber.

18. FISH LEATHER

After tanning and removing denticles the skin of sharks and rays provide a strong and
highly durable leather. In Japan, the skin of puffer fish is used for preparing latrious. The viscera
are removed from the body and the skin is dried. The candle is burnt inside the jacket, the skin
useful as a transparent shade. Dried and treated skins are used for making belts, shoes, bags,
suitcases and other ornamental wears.

Dr.C.V.Narasimha murthy. Associate professor (Contract), VSUPGCenter,Kavali. M.Sc.Zoology, notes-2016

19. SHAGREEN

It is the skin of the sharks and rays. These are armed with sharp pointed placoid scales. It is used
in polishing wood and other materials, for covering jewellery and sword covers.

Table utilization of fish products & by – products

Products/by-product Source Uses

1. Fish liver oil+ vitamin
Fat of liver and Pharmaceutical
A
Body Pharmaceutical
2. Fish body oil
3. Fish flour, sausage, Protein of
Human consumption
ham Muscle

4. Fish meal Animal feed

5. Fish silage Animal feed
And other tis
6. Fish soluble Animal feed
Sue
7. Fish manure Agricultural
8. Fish guano Agricultural

Collage of
9. Fish Guano Industrial
body tissues
Collagen of air
10. Isin glue Industrial
bladder
11. Fish leather Skin Industrial
Industrial (purification of
12. Animal charcoal liquids).
13. Guanine Scales
Industrial (artificial pearls).
14. Shagreen
Industrial (abrasive).
15. Dried fins Fins Human consumption
16. Fish roe Eggs Human consumption

Pharmaceutical
17. Cholesterol
Industrial (mordant in dyeing)
18. Squalene Sterols
Industrial (Antibloom agent in
19. Lecithin
chocolate industry)

Enzymes &
20. Enzymes & hormones Pharmaceutical
hormones

Dr.C.V.Narasimha murthy. Associate professor (Contract), VSUPGCenter,Kavali. M.Sc.Zoology, notes-2016

20. Helmets

The skin of whales is used for the manufacture of helmets.

21. FISH SOAPS

The fins of various-sharks are dried and exported to other countries where they are for the
preparation of soaps.

22 FISH INSULIN

The pancreases of large fishes are removed to obtain raw material for manufacturing insulin.

23. ARTIFICIAL PEARLS

The material obtained by scalping the silvery coating of the scales of certain fishes, is
used for polishing the hollow glass beads. There beads are then filled with wax and marked as
artificial pearls, used in jewellery.

24. AMBER GRIS

This is a solid, buoyant waxy or fatty inflammable substance, grey, dull or speckled in
colour and musky in odour, which occurs as a concretion, in the intestine or stomach of the
sperm whale. Usually sick members vomit it. It is generally founds floating in sea or in the shore,
in hot latitudes, usually during the cold and wet moths. Pieces of considerable size have been
found on the west coast of Sir Lanka. Ambergris is different from amber, vegetable products of
the sea. Formally it was thought to be fungous growth, etc. It is usually
found in all parts of the intestines, and is mostly a concretion of
undigested squids and cattle fish; with the nuclear mass being horny
beaks of cephalopods. Next to pearls, ambergris is the highest priced
product of fisheries.

It acts as a preventive to child – bearing if taken by females and

uses it in medicines. When picked up wet, it is soft and emits a rank repugnant odour. It is
wrapped in cloth and dried. Exposure to air makes it harder, lighter, opaque, wax like, and
inflammable. It is used in flavor dishes. But at present its only use is in the perfume industry.

Dr.C.V.Narasimha murthy. Associate professor (Contract), VSUPGCenter,Kavali. M.Sc.Zoology, notes-2016