Snoek


Whole Snoek Fish [Zeesnoek (old Afrikaans); Barracouta (Australia); Thyrsites atun]

This fish is found in the subtropical regions of the southern seas around the world, but only on the continental shelf. it can grow to as much as 78 inches and 13 pounds, but is typically 30 inches. When early Dutch settlers came to South Africa, they depended a lot on fish, as they had little access to meat animals. This fish reminded them of the fresh water Snoek (Snook) they knew in Holland, but this was a salt water fish, so they called it Zeesnoek. In South Africa it is only found on the west coast. IUCN listed NE (Not evaluated).   Photo by Brian Gratwicke, distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike v2.0 Generic.

More on Snake Mackerels.

This fish is marketed in the regions where it is found, fresh, frozen, canned and smoked. It can be cooked by practically any method, but most frequently by frying, grilling or smoking. It is sometimes used for fish and chips, and in Japan it is used for fish cakes. It is popular with the Cape Malay of South Africa for many dishes. In subsistence fishing communities of South Africa it is commonly salted and dried, then used much as salt cod is used.

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