Croaker (Mushka)

Introduction

Croaker – Mushka is one of the most common fish of the Arabian Sea. Croaker is available throughout the year at stable prices.

Croaker – Mushka is known to be a low-end fish equally loved by all segments of customers. Croaker is one of those fish that is low cost and has no fishy odor and bones. Probably the most common frying fish, Croaker is very versatile to use.

Flavor Profile

This is a very good eating fish. The flesh is off-white with a good medium flavor. One must use simple species that won’t mask the flavor and just lightly dust with rice flour for frying.

Nomenclature

• English Name: Croaker, Drum, Tiger-tooth Croaker
• Local Name: Mushka, Pandasi
• Scientific Name: Otolithes Cuvieri

Habitat

Croaker is a Sea fish that mainly lives at inshore and coastal waters.

Catching Method

Croaker is caught using Gillnets, Hook lines, and Bottom Trawls.

Physical Attributes

Croaker has Scales on the body. The body is fairly slender, depth slightly less than head length, mouth large and strongly oblique with lower jaw projecting; no upper pores on the snout, 1–2 pairs of moderate canine teeth in the upper jaw or both jaws, 13–15 gill rakers on lower limb of the first-gill arch, swim bladder carrot-shaped, with branching appendages along its entire lateral sides, caudal fin rhomboid.

Color

Scale centers are brown on the upper two-thirds of the body, forming narrow oblique bands of spinous dorsal fin edged in grey-black, anal, and paired fins are yellowish.

Size

On average, Croaker size is 200 gram to 1 kg per fish. However, Other sizes are also occasionally available.

Cutting Preferences

Croaker is preferred for Whole and Gutted and Headless and Gutted, Slices, Boneless Fillets, Boneless Biscuits, and Boneless Fingers.

Approx. Cutting Yields

• Whole: 100 %
• Gutted: 80 %
• Headless and Gutted: 70 %
• Slices: 68 %
• Boneless: 42 %

Cooking Preferences

Croaker is preferred to Grill, BBQ & Fry.

Health Benefits

• Heart friendly
• Lowers Blood Pressure
• Improves Immune System
• Strengthens the bones
• Improves Skin and Hair health