Thread: Has anyone eaten shark fillets as a meal?

Yeah Johnny, It's getting to be a commonly available fish in a lot of places. It tastes fine if prepared right. My only problems are:

1) Sharks, being a primitive species, do not have an excretory system and defecate/urinate through the muscle/skin tissues. The thought of this never appeals to me.
2) Also because of this there can be a build up of mercury and other toxins in the meat depending on what and who it ate last

-OD

So You don't recommend it as a healthy source of protein?

I's limit it to no more than 1 serving per week.
OD

I LOVE Shark meat Shark and Swordfish are some of my favorites.

Shark is an excellent protein source IMO!

So having 1 serving a day wouldn't be healthy?

If your not concerned mercury then its fine for once a day.

Originally posted by OceanDude
1) Sharks, being a primitive species, do not have an excretory system and defecate/urinate through the muscle/skin tissues. The thought of this never appeals to me.

Is that for real ? What other animal does that too ?

I eat shark all the time, when I can afford it.

Peace.

I knew that certain fish especially canned tuna had mercury in it. But I was unaware shark was high in mercury.

One of the reasons I eat Pollack fish is because it has next to zero mercury in it.

But maybe I shouldn't eat shark than if it's that bad for you.

whatever you do don't cook it on a foreman grill inside, your house will stink for a couple weeks

What type of shark do you guys eat?

You must be aware that some species are close to extinction from overfishing and wanton destruction for their fins etc...

I'm personally all for abstaining from them for those reasons.

Well rather than just speculate on it I went out and got some hard scientific data. Check out this Chart. It shows a trend in raising mercury levels over the last 13 years in general. Shark is one of the highest mercury levels of them all. Things like trout, white fish, salmon are very low.

http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/seamehg2.html

Also see http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/admehg3.html where they in particular advise:

By following these 3 recommendations for selecting and eating fish or shellfish, women and young children will receive the benefits of eating fish and shellfish and be confident that they have reduced their exposure to the harmful effects of mercury.

Do not eat Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, or Tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury.

Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury.

Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish.

Another commonly eaten fish, albacore ("white") tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna. So, when choosing your two meals of fish and shellfish, you may eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna per week.

Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught by family and friends in your local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. If no advice is available, eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) per week of fish you catch from local waters, but don't consume any other fish during that week.

Also see : http://www.epa.gov/ost/fish/


-OD

I honestly don't think i've ever cooked fish once in my entire adult life. I really dislike it for some reason. The only kind i'll eat is tuna fish out of a can or MAHI MAHI. I go to this one restaurant that serves it and I love that stuff. Too bad I can't find it in stores. Doesn't taste fishy and almost tastes like chicken in a way. I wonder if Mahi Mahi is good for you..

Originally posted by tdockweiler
I wonder if Mahi Mahi is good for you..

Mahi Mahi - Dolphin Fish

Nutritional Highlights

Mahi mahi (cooked, dry heat), 3 oz. (84.9g)
Calories: 118
Protein: 25.5g
Carbohydrate: 0.0g
Total Fat: 1.0g
Fiber: 0.0g
*Excellent source of: Selenium (40mcg), Niacin (10mg), and Vitamin B6 (0.88mg)
*Good source of: Potassium (484mg)

IMO it is very healthy ..
EDIT:
Lower-mercury fish and shellfish that are safer to eat
Ocean fish:
Spot
Croaker
Kingfish (sea mullet)
Speckled trout (spotted trout)
Cod
Whitefish
Pollock
Mahi-mahi
Ocean perch
Halibut
Haddock
Flounder
Herring


Freshwater fish:
Farm-raised fish
Trout
Crappie
Sunfish
White perch
Yellow perch
Bream
Salmon

Shellfish:
Shrimp
Crab
Lobster
Clams
Oysters
Scallops

Based on current FDA and N.C. data.

The way I always understood it is that predatory fish have more mercury because in addition to absorbing mercury naturally as all other fishes, they eat fish, giving their bodies more mercury. That's why FDA/DNR recommends eating fish that are still young (and right within the minimum limit size) because as they get old, they have more mercury, it can't be stopped.

All the myths:

-bottom dwellers (catfish, bullhead, carps) have more mercury because mercury settles on the bottom

-ocean fish are cleaner because the water is clear

...are untrue. The only thing I can think of is that fish in moving water have less mercury because the chemicals don't get much time to settle. Even still, only eat small salmon, and no farm-raised...they are raised in still water and absorb more mercury than wild ones - it's been scientifically proven. All fish are absorbing mercury and it's a part of their life (ie the older humans get, the more prone they are to diseases and picking up chemicals in their body)

So really, the only fishes that I would eat once/twice a day are the good ol' freshwater American panfishes such as big sunnies, crappies, and bass once in a while. Plus, you get to cook it yourself so you get to use beneficial oils and veggies you want. Trout is the way to go but I don't many of you guys would spend 3-5 hours a day trying to catch trout - brownies are the easiest fish to spook in the world and not only that, they like to be in shallow water and their vision spreads out in a tornado-like path so you actually have to be on your knees or sitting most of the time to catch them. And they are mid-late evening eaters. Alot of work, but the fun and the taste (and protein quality - I swear I have never seen a fat trout!) in fresh, wild trout beats everything else.

Okay, I'll shut up about fishing now.

I noticed Pollack was in the very low level of mercury. That's what I eat for that very reason.

Originally posted by tdockweiler
I honestly don't think i've ever cooked fish once in my entire adult life. I really dislike it for some reason. The only kind i'll eat is tuna fish out of a can or MAHI MAHI. I go to this one restaurant that serves it and I love that stuff. Too bad I can't find it in stores. Doesn't taste fishy and almost tastes like chicken in a way. I wonder if Mahi Mahi is good for you..

I have said it before and I will say it again. For those of you not living near the coast and able to get fresh fish - many of you are so deprived. There is absolutely NO comparison to fresh fish and what you get out of a can and what the labels calls "tuna". I am totally spoiled living here on the coast since we get it fresh daily. The stuff in a can is by comparison "cat food". Don't even call it fish - it's something else. Fresh fish is better than steak - it's clean, fresh, chunky, non-fishy and solid good tasting meat. I am never fearful of eating it even raw (as in sushi) as long as its fresh and handled correctly and kept on ice.


By the way Mahi (AKA dolphin [the non-mamal fish]) is a wonderful fish! We catch it all the time off shore in the gulf stream in the Atlantic. They are incredibly beautiful fish with wonderous colours (greens blues yellows etc) and they "hound dog" in and out of the water like a pack of racing hounds toward schooling bait fish our trolling lures. It is amazing to watch these things converge and hit the bait or schooling fish and they will often leap out of the water and do flips and things as they catch their prey or are themselves caught. This is pure protein and is very very low in any mercury since they grow so incredibly fast and don't live that long before they are caught. These fish are like the "jocks" of the ocean - pure athletes, all muscle and almost no fat.

OD

I don't eat canned fish as it is the worst for mercury content.

But Pollack is very low in mercury if it has any at all which is why I love it as I eat it twice a day.

I stopped eating canned tuna around 3 yrs ago.

mahi is dolphin fish, not dolphins i believe
nevermind vei had it, and grilled mahi makes a grub fish taco

WTF? aztecwolf

I'm not sure what he is saying. But maybe he's saying that Dolphins are mammals.

Originally posted by Johnnny
WTF? aztecwolf

I'm not sure what he is saying. But maybe he's saying that Dolphins are mammals.

Ya took the words right out of ma mouth Johhnny. I thought everyone knew the difference between the mamal and the fish called "dolphin". I am definately talking about the fish but I bet Flipper would taste almost as good as Bamby ...


-OD