This amazing Siberian fish muksun

One of the best commercial fish of Siberia is muxun, belonging to the family of whitefish (to which also belong omul, whitefish, chir and many other fish). Usually the length of muksun is 40-45 cm, and the mass is about 2-3 kg. Individual individuals reach a length of 75 cm and a weight of up to 8 kg. Since it is a northern fish, muxun lives in practically all major Siberian rivers: the Irtysh, the Ob, the Yenisei, the Lena, the lakes on the Taimyr Peninsula, and also the freshened waters of the Ob and Yenisei Bay. Muksun spreads across Siberia unevenly, preferring cold and clean water. Most of all muxun dwells in the Ob and Taz Bay, as well as in the Yenisei.

The composition of the ration of muxun depends on the season. In summer, fish muksun feeds mainly on the bottom of crustaceans and molluscs. The main food in the winter is zooplankton.

Like other semi-transit fish, muksu fish from the coastal waters of the Arctic Ocean to the spawning site makes many kilometers of migration. Usually spawning course muxun begins immediately after the ice drift. Rising upstream, the place of its spawning area muxun reaches only by the autumn (late September-early October). The very spawning begins with the beginning of the formation of the first ice (usually in October) and ends when the water temperature drops to 4 ^о С (ie, somewhere in November).

For spawning fish, muksun prefers places where the bottom is pebbly or sandy, and the flow is fast enough. The number of eggs depends on the size of each individual. By the way, muksu does not come to spawn every year. During his life, the fish spawns several times (usually three or four). And the fact that sexually mature males are about ten years old, and females - even later, makes muksun very vulnerable to man. That is why the population of this fish needs reliable protection.

In most regions of the Urals and Siberia, muxun fishing is prohibited. And, where this is permitted, the catch is carried out by fishing teams on the basis of a license and strictly in limited quantities.

As for sport fishing, the muxun is usually caught on a fly. It is worth noting that this is a very capricious fish, and therefore for successful fishing it is necessary to accurately select the bait that corresponds to the fodder base of a particular reservoir. Therefore, caught on a fishing rod or spinning muxun - a fish, a photo with which is a special pride of the amateur angler.

From other whitefish, the muxun is distinguished by a steeply rising body behind his head. The sides of the muksun are silvery, the back is dark, and the abdomen is light-white.

Like everyone who lives in cold water, the fish is very fatty. Juicy, tender, quickly digested and high-calorie meat, besides useful for the body fatty acids, contains a lot of nutrients and trace elements. It contains substances such as chromium, zinc, molybdenum, as well as copper and bromine useful for the nervous system and circulatory system.

From muksun you can cook an incredibly large number of delicious and healthy dishes. It is fried, boiled, salted, smoked and even eaten raw. Frozen muksun during defrosting retains all its nutritional properties.