Informational Articals - Fish Eggs

Female fish lay millions of eggs at a time in a pod that is hidden in the body of water in which they live. These eggs haven’t yet been fertilized yet as this is done externally by the male fish. Neither the mother or the father of these fish eggs stick around to see the offspring materialize.

Since these fish eggs aren’t protected they often end up being the food for various species that live in bodies of water. Even the fish that do survive being hatched move around in the yolk sac for a few days until they learn to swim. This movement makes them a prime target for predators.

It isn’t only predators in the body of water that prevent fish eggs from hatching though. They are often hunted by humans as fish eggs are commonly known as the delicacy caviar. The eggs of salmon, mullet, herring, and bass are the most commonly used. Those that don’t seem to be of good quality to make caviar are often used as fish bait to catch larger fish from bodies of water.

Fish eggs can only be used to make caviar if they are immediately packed in ice after being removed from the water. They are the freshest and best tasting if they are eaten within 24 hours of being removed from the water. The speed at which this process has to take place accounts for why so many restaurants charge an arm and a leg for caviar.

You have to be extremely careful when it comes to fish eggs and caviar because they can spoil quickly if they aren’t kept cold. If you think the caviar has a weird taste or smell you should not eat it. You will be much better off throwing it out then suffering from a cruel round of food poisoning from these fish eggs.

Since fish eggs are so popular for so many different reasons it is a good thing fish are able to lay millions of eggs at a time. The majority of them don’t survive long enough to become fish because they are eaten in the water or removed by humans. Others simply don’t end up being fertilized by male sperm. However there always seems to be enough fish eggs that survive these various issues to keep the rivers and streams populated with fish.