Ilish

The ilish (Tenualosa ilisha) (Bengali: ইলিশ, romanized: iliś; also known as the ilishi, hilsa, hilsa
herring or hilsa shad, is a species of fish related to the herring, in the family Clupeidae. It is a
very popular and sought-after food fish in the Indian Subcontinent, and is the national fish of
Bangladesh[3] and the state fish of West Bengal.[4] The most famous hilsha fish comes from
Chandpur, Bangladesh. The fish contributes about 12% of the total fish production and about
1.15% of GDP in Bangladesh. On 6 August 2017, Department of Patents, Designs and
Trademarks under the Ministry of Industries of Bangladesh has declared the recognition of ilish
as the product of Bangladesh. As of 2021, 86% of the world's total ilish supply originates in
Bangladesh which applied for Geographical indication (GI) in 2004.[5] About 450,000 people are
directly involved in the catching of the fish as a large part of their livelihood; around four to five
million people are indirectly involved with the trade.[6]
 Ilish, Hilsha Fish.

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] (Global)

Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)[2] (Persian Gulf)

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Clupeiformes

Family: Clupeidae

Genus: Tenualosa
 Species: T. ilisha
Binomial name

Tenualosa ilisha

F. Hamilton, 1822

Synonyms

Clupanodon ilisha Hamilton, 1822

Clupea ilisha (Hamilton, 1822)

Hilsa ilisha (Hamilton, 1822)

Macrura ilisha (Hamilton, 1822)

Tenualosa illisha (Hamilton, 1822)

Tenualosa illsha (Hamilton, 1822)

Clupea palasah Cuvier, 1829

Common names

Other names include: jatka, ilish, ellis, palla fish, hilsha, ilih etc. (Assamese: ইলীহ/ইলীহি: ilih/ilihi,
Bengali: ইলিশ, romanized: iliś, Gujarati: મોદાર/પાલ્વા: Modar or Palva, Odia: ଇଲିଶି, romanized: iliśi,
Sindhī: ‫ پلو مڇي‬pallo machhi, Tamil: உள்ள மீன்/Ulla Meen, Telugu: పులస pulasa). The name
ilish is also used in India's Assamese, Bengali and Odia community. In Iraq it is called sboor
(‫)صبور‬. In Malaysia and Indonesia, it is commonly known as terubok. Due to its distinguished
features as being oily and tender, some Malays, especially in northern Johore, call it 'terubok
umno' (to distinguish it from the toli - which species is rich of tiny bones and not so oily). In
Myanmar, it is called (Burmese: ငါးသလောက်) in Burmese.
File:Abundance of Hilsa Fish in Bangladesh.svg

Doi Ilish

Ilish Fry
Description and habitat

Ilish of Bangladesh

The fish is marine; freshwater; brackish; pelagic-neritic; anadromous; depth range? - 200 m.
Within a tropical range; 34°N - 5°N, 42°E - 97°E in marine and freshwater. It can grow up to 60 cm
in length with weights of up to 3 kg. It is found in rivers and estuaries in Bangladesh, India,
Pakistan, Myanmar (also known as Burma) and the Persian Gulf area where it can be found in
the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in and around Iran and southern Iraq.[7] It has no dorsal spines
but 18 – 21 dorsal soft rays and anal soft rays. The belly has 30 to 33 scutes. There is a distinct
median notch in the upper jaw. Gill rakers fine and numerous, about 100 to 250 on the lower part
of the arch and the fins are hyaline. The fish shows a dark blotch behind gill opening, followed by
a series of small spots along the flank in juveniles. Color in life, silver shot with gold and purple.
The species filter feeds on plankton and by grubbing muddy bottoms.[8] The fish schools in
coastal waters and ascends up the rivers (anadromous) for around 50 – 100 km to spawn during
the southwest monsoons (June to September) and also in January to April. April is the most
fertile month for the breeding of ilish. The young fish returning to the sea are known in
Bangladesh as jatka, which includes any ilish fish up to 9 inches long.

Production
The fish is found in 11 countries: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait,
Bahrain, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Bangladesh is the top hilsa-producing country in the
world, followed by Myanmar and then India.

86 percent of the total hilsa catch is taken in Bangladesh. Production has dropped in the other
ten hilsa-producing countries; in Bangladesh, however, production reached 517,000 tons in FY
2017–18, up from 279,189 tons in 2006–07, as a result of a strategy implemented by the
Bangladeshi government.

Food value

Hilsha roe plays an important role in Bengali cuisine.

The fish is popular food amongst the people of South Asia and in the Middle East, but especially
with Bengalis, Odias and Andhras.Bengali fish curry is a popular dish made with mustard oil or
seed. The Bengalis popularly call this dish Shorshe Ilish. It is very popular in Bengal (Bangladesh
and India's West Bengal), as well as in Odisha, Tripura, Assam, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. It is
also exported globally.

In North America (where ilish is not always readily available) other shad fish are sometimes used
as an ilish substitute, especially in Bengali cuisine. This typically occurs near the East coast of
North America, where fresh shad fish having similar taste can be found.

In Bangladesh, fish are caught in the Meghna-Jamuna delta,[9] which flows into the Bay of Bengal
and Meghna (lower Brahmaputra), and Jamuna rivers.

In India, Rupnarayan (which has the Kolaghater hilsa), Hooghly, Mahanadi,[10] Narmada and
Godavari rivers and the Chilika Lake are famous for their fish yields.

In Pakistan, most hilsa fish are caught in the Indus River Delta in Sindh. They are also caught in
the sea, but some consider the marine stage of the fish as not so tasty. The fish has very sharp
and tough bones, making it problematic to eat for some.

Ilish is an oily fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids.[11] Recent experiments have shown its beneficial
effects in decreasing cholesterol level in rats[12] and insulin level.[13]

In Bengal and Odisha, ilish can be smoked, fried, steamed or baked in young plantain leaves,
prepared with mustard seed paste, curd, eggplant, different condiments like jira (cumin) and so
on. It is said that people can cook ilish in more than 50 ways. Ilish roe is also popular as a side
dish. Ilish can be cooked in very little oil since the fish itself is very oily.

Ilish in culture

Shorshe Ilish, a dish of smoked ilish with mustard seeds, has been an important part of Bengali cuisine.
 In Andhra Pradesh, the saying goes "Pustelu ammi ayina Pulasa tinocchu", meaning roughly
"It's worth eating Pulasa/Ilish even if you have to sell your mangala sutra."

In many Bengali Hindu families a pair of ilish fishes (Bengali: Jora Ilish) are bought on
auspicious days, for example for special prayers or puja days like for the Hindu Goddess of
music, art and knowledge Saraswati Puja, which takes place in the beginning of Spring or on
the day of Lakshmi Puja (The Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity) which takes place in
autumn.[14] Some people offer the fish to the goddess Lakshmi, without which the Puja is
sometimes thought to be incomplete.

Ilish is the national fish of Bangladesh.[3]

In Bengal Ilish is also used during wedding as tattwa gift. During Gaye Holud tattwa the family
of the groom presents a pair of Ilish to the family of the bride. However, due to the scarcity of
Ilish, nowadays it is often replaced by Rohu in West Bengal, while the tradition continues in
Bangladesh.

In Bangladesh and West Bengal, a famous dish which tastes good with fried ilish fish is
'khichudi' (a special way of cooking lentils and rice together with some added herbs). It is
popular among all Bengalis during monsoon which is known as the month of ilish. In
Bangladesh and West Bengal, ilish is often termed as the 'Queen' of fishes.

This fish is called as PULASA in Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh State in India. The name
Pulasa stays with the fish for a limited period between July-Sept of a year, when floods
(muddy)water flow in Godavari River. This time the fish is in high demand and sometimes
$100 per kilo.[15][16]

Hilsha fish called Pallo Machi is important part of Sindhi cuisine, prepared with numerous
cooking methods. It can be deep fried and garnished with local spices, can be cooked with
onions and potatoes into a traditional fish meal or barbequed. The fish often has roe, which is
called "aani" in Sindhi and is enjoyed as a delicacy. Often fried alongside the palla and served
with the fish fillets.[17][18][19]

The rivalry of Eastbengal and Mohonbagan, two football clubs in Kolkata are celebrated by
food. When Eastbengal prevails, its an Ilish dish which is cooked in the household of a fan.
Similarly, when Mohonbagan wins, a prawn dish is prepared by the supporter.

Overfishing and possible extinction

Due to the demand and popularity of this species, overfishing is rampant. Fishes weighing
around 2 to 3 kilograms have become rare in India, as even the smaller fish are caught using
finer fishing nets as production in Bangladesh have increased.[20][21] As a consequence of this,
prices of the fish have risen. In the past ilish were not harvested between Vijaya Dashami and
Saraswati Puja due to some informal customs of Odia and Bengali Hindus as it is the breeding
period of the fish. But as disposable incomes grew, wealthier consumers abandoned the old
traditions.[22] The advent of finer fishing nets and advanced trawling techniques, and
environmental degradation of the rivers, has worsened the situation. Fishermen have been
ignoring calls to at least leave the juvenile "jatka" alone to repopulate the species. The fishing of
the young jatka is now illegal in Bangladesh. This ban however has resulted in a rise in un-
employment, as around 83,000 fishermen are unable to pursue their former livelihood for eight
months every year. It has also led to the creation of a black market where jatka are sold for
exorbitant prices.[23] Furthermore, the changes brought about by global warming have led to a
gradual depletion of the ilish's breeding grounds, reducing populations of the fish even further.[24]
Pollution in Indian rivers have worsened the situation, but due to slightly better waters the fishes
are found more near Bangladesh delta.[21] Owing to this situation ilish is used as a diplomatic
trade item for COVID-19 vaccines too.[25]

See also

Bangladeshi cuisine

Bengali cuisine

Cuisine of Odisha

Environmental impact of fishing

References

1. Freyhof, J. (2014). "Tenualosa ilisha" (https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/166442/1132697) . IUCN

Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T166442A1132697. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-
1.RLTS.T166442A1132697.en (https://doi.org/10.2305%2FIUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T166442A1132697.e
n) . Retrieved 19 November 2021.

2. Al-Khalaf, K.; Alam, S.; Almukhtar, M.; Bishop, J.; Abdulqader, E.; Alghawzi, Q.; Al-Husaini, M.; Hartmann, S.;
Kaymaram, F. (2015). "Tenualosa ilisha" (https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/166442/75259795) .
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T166442A75259795.
 3. Webb, Lois Sinaiko; Roten, Lindsay Grace (2009), The Multicultural Cookbook for Students (https://books.
google.com/books?id=fgWrCQAAQBAJ) , ABC-CLIO, ISBN 978-0-313-37559-0

4. "State Fishes of India" (http://nfdb.gov.in/PDF/Fish%20&%20Fisheries%20of%20India/2.State%20Fishes%

20of%20India.pdf) (PDF). National Fisheries Development Board, Government of India. Retrieved
25 December 2020.

5. "Recognition for hilsa" (https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/recognition-hilsa-1445266) . The Daily

Star. 8 August 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2019.

6. Siddique, Abu Bakar. "Country's 6th Ilish sanctuary coming soon" (https://www.dhakatribune.com/uncate
gorized/2015/01/19/countrys-6th-ilish-sanctuary-coming-soon) . Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 23 May
2015.

7. Al-Dubakel, A. Y. (2011). "Commercial Fishing and Marketing of Hilsa Shad Tenualosa ilisha (Hamilton-
Buchanon, 1822) in Basrah -Southern Iraq" (https://web.archive.org/web/20140522105008/http://ejfa.inf
o/index.php/ejfa/article/viewFile/6455/3293) . Emirates Journal of Food Agriculture. 23 (2). Archived
from the original (http://ejfa.info/index.php/ejfa/article/viewFile/6455/3293) on 22 May 2014.
Retrieved 22 May 2014.

8. "Tenualosa ilisha" (http://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?ID=1596&AT=ilisha) .

FishBase.

9. "Highway extortion responsible for surge in Ilish prices" (http://www.dhakatribune.com/business/2016/a

pr/14/highway-extortion-responsible-surge-ilish-prices) . Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 3 May 2016.

10. "Bioinformatics Centre, National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, India" (https://web.archive.org/web/201

30506014920/http://www.biosearch.in/publicOrganismPage.php?id=113036) . Biosearch.in. 1 February
2012. Archived from the original (http://www.biosearch.in/publicOrganismPage.php?id=113036) on 6
May 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2013.

11. Mohanty, Bimal; Das, Soma; Bhaumik, Utpal; Sharma, Anil (March 2011). "Tenualosa ilisha: A rich source
of omega-3 PUFAs" (http://www.cifri.res.in/Bulletins/Bulletin%20No.171.pdf) (PDF). Bulletin. Central
Inland Fisheries Research Institute (171). ISSN 0970-616X (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0970-616X) .

12. Banerjee I, Saha S, Dutta J (June 1992). "Comparison of the effects of dietary fish oils with different n-3
polyunsaturated fatty acid compositions on plasma and liver lipids in rats". Lipids. 27 (6): 425–8.
doi:10.1007/BF02536383 (https://doi.org/10.1007%2FBF02536383) . PMID 1630277 (https://pubmed.n
cbi.nlm.nih.gov/1630277) . S2CID 4033041 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:4033041) .
13. Mahmud I, Hossain A, Hossain S, Hannan A, Ali L, Hashimoto M (2004). "Effects of Hilsa ilisa fish oil on
the atherogenic lipid profile and glycaemic status of streptozotocin-treated type 1 diabetic rats" (https://a
rchive.today/20130105074726/http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/resolve/openurl?genre=article&sid=n
lm:pubmed&issn=0305-1870&date=2004&volume=31&issue=1-2&spage=76) . Clin. Exp. Pharmacol.
Physiol. 31 (1–2): 76–81. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1681.2004.03953.x (https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1440-168
1.2004.03953.x) . PMID 14756688 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14756688) . S2CID 25883400 (ht
tps://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:25883400) . Archived from the original (http://www3.interscien
ce.wiley.com/resolve/openurl?genre=article&sid=nlm:pubmed&issn=0305-1870&date=2004&volume=31
&issue=1-2&spage=76) on 5 January 2013.

14. "Ilish... a love story" (http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/column-ilish-a-love-story-1990784) . dna. 24

May 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2016.

15. "What the fish! Godavari Pulasa selling for Rs 4,000 per kg" (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/visa
khapatnam/what-the-fish-godavari-pulasa-selling-for-rs-4000-per-kg/articleshow/60251761.cms) . The
Times of India. Retrieved 18 February 2018.

16. "Pulasa season starts early" (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajahmundry/Pulasa-season-starts

-early/articleshow/53124756.cms) . The Times of India. Retrieved 18 February 2018.

17. Khan, M. Hussain (2 April 2019). "The palla, the shrine, the catch and the cook" (https://www.dawn.com/n
ews/1204243) . Dawn.

18. Karmakar, Kalyan (24 April 2018). "10 Reasons to Get Invited to a Sindhi Household for Dinner" (https://fo
od.ndtv.com/food-drinks/10-reasons-to-get-invited-to-a-sindhi-household-for-dinner-1670547) . NDTV
Food.

19. Sen, Pritha (9 July 2017). "A fishy fable: If it's monsoon, it must rain hilsas" (http://indianexpress.com/arti
cle/lifestyle/food-wine/a-fishy-fable-if-its-monsoon-it-must-rain-hilsas-4741945/) . The Indian Express.

20. Dasgupta, Reshmi R. (13 August 2012). "Bengalis are loving Ilish to extinction" (http://blogs.economictim
es.indiatimes.com/SilkStalkings/entry/bengalis-are-loving-ilish-to-extinction) . The Economic Times.

21. "Hilsa Fish: অসুস্থ গঙ্গা থেকে মুখ ফিরিয়ে মায়ানমার পাড়ি দিচ্ছে ইলিশের ঝাঁক" (https://www.anandabazar.com/
india/due-to-some-geological-factors-in-ganges-hilsa-fish-are-migrating-towards-myanmar/cid/130341
9) . anandabazar.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 24 September 2021.

22. Mazumdar, Jaideep (1 September 2008). "The Last Ilish Curry" (http://www.outlookindia.com/article.asp
x?238289) . Outlook.

23. Moitra, Kalyan (1 July 2002). "Hilsa may soon become endangered: Experts" (https://archive.today/20130
701060646/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2002-07-01/kolkata/27293404_1_hilsa-fingerling
s-indiscriminate-fishing) . The Times of India. Archived from the original (http://articles.timesofindia.indi
atimes.com/2002-07-01/kolkata/27293404_1_hilsa-fingerlings-indiscriminate-fishing) on 1 July 2013.
24. "Bangladesh's Hilsa Fish Acts as Early Warning of Climate Change" (https://web.archive.org/web/201405
22103819/http://www.celsias.com/article/bangladeshs-hilsa-fish-acts-early-warning-climate/) .
Archived from the original (http://www.celsias.com/article/bangladeshs-hilsa-fish-acts-early-warning-cl
imate/) on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 1 July 2013.

25. ভ্যাকসিন নেই, তাই ইলিশও নেই! (https://www.dw.com/bn/%E0%A6%AD%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%AF%E0%A6%

BE%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%A8-%E0%A6%A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%87-%E0%A6%
A4%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%87-%E0%A6%87%E0%A6%B2%E0%A6%BF%E0%A6%B6%E0%A6%93-%E0%A6%
A8%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%87/a-57988675) (in Bengali). Deutsche Welle. 22 June 2021. Retrieved
25 September 2021.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tenualosa ilisha.

Wikispecies has information related to Tenualosa ilisha.

Hilsa Research in the Bay of Bengal (http://harunbfdc.blogspot.com)

Tenualosa ilisha (http://en.bdfish.org/?s=Tenualosa+ilisha) .BdFISH

"Tenualosa ilisha" (https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&searc

h_value=551297) . Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 6 June 2006.

Ilish Hut (ইলিশ হাট) (http://www.IlishHut.com/) | Online Ilish Fish Selling Website from
Bangladesh

Mazumder SK, Alam MS (January–March 2009). "High levels of genetic variability and
differentiation in hilsa shad, Tenualosa ilisha (Clupeidae, Clupeiformes) populations revealed
by PCR-RFLP analysis of the mitochondrial DNA D-loop region" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
pmc/articles/PMC3032976) . Genet Mol Biol. 32 (1): 190–196. doi:10.1590/S1415-
47572009005000023 (https://doi.org/10.1590%2FS1415-47572009005000023) .
PMC 3032976 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3032976) . PMID 21637667
(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21637667) .

Roomiani L, Sotudeh AM, Hakimi Mofrad R (October 2013). "Reproductive biology of Hilsa
shad (Tenualosa ilisha) in coastal Waters of the Northwest of Persian Gulf" (http://www.jifro.ir/
files/site1/user_files_eb12be/eng/fallahi-A-10-1272-74-9886856.pdf) (PDF). Iranian Journal
of Fisheries Sciences. 13 (1): 201–2015.
Retrieved from
"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Ilish&oldid=1095177596"

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