Sturgeon (Osetra).
Sturgeon is one of the oldest freshwater fish on Earth.
Experts believe that sturgeons were found in rivers when dinosaurs still roamed the planet. This is proved by the Cretaceous deposits in the excavations, which have preserved the fossilized remains of fish, although on the other hand it is incredible - because sturgeons do not have bones, their skeleton consists of cartilages. Sturgeon - the main representative of the family of sturgeon - differs elongated structure of the body, its head is also elongated, pointed to the mouth, jaws without teeth. At the mouth of the sturgeon there are four skin antennae, which play the role of a tactile organ. With their help, he seeks food - crustaceans, mollusks, aquatic larvae and insects.
Sturgeons do not have scales, their skin is protected by five bone plates (they are called "bugs") that begin at the head and, without joining, converge to the tail (one plate on the back, two on the sides and two on the belly). Typically, this fish reaches a length of 1.5-2 meters at a weight of 50-80 kg, but there are cases when the length of some individuals reached 3 meters, and weight about 200 kg. Eggs laid by them are glued to the river or lake bottoms. Currently, 19 species of sturgeon are known, some of which are listed in the Red Book.
As a fish, sturgeon is unique. Because there are practically no inedible parts of it, even cartilage and vertebra strings (cooked in dried form known as "viziga") are used for food. In addition to tasty, very expensive meat, sturgeon is highly valued for a large number of caviar (it is about 1/6 or 1/5 of the weight of fish), which is considered a special delicacy. In fish departments of supermarkets and fish markets, sturgeon can be bought in fresh and frozen form, as well as salted, dried and smoked. Sturgeon is very tasty boiled, steamed or roasted on a spit in combination with a variety of sauces.
Sturgeon is undisputed champion in sodium content among fish. Its containing great amount of all amino acids, and protein from osetra meat is easily absorbed by the body (by 98%). In large quantities, it contains phosphorus and potassium, there is also magnesium, calcium, iron, sodium, chlorine, fluorine, chromium, molybdenum, nickel, iodine. From the whole set of vitamins its meat contains vitamins C, PP, B1, B2.
In addition, sturgeon has a substantial supply of useful fatty acids, which contribute to reducing the level of cholesterol in the blood. So regular use of sturgeon in food significantly reduces the risk of heart attack. Sturgeon caviar is very useful for the normalization of blood pressure and metabolism.