Fish head

Parts of a fish head

Parts of a pike's head. 1: liver, 2: gill arch, 3: palate with sharp teeth, 4: in the middle a heart, 5: fragment of spinal cord, 6: brain, 7: spherical lens, 8: scale

Fish heads at a market

Fish Heads

Fish heads, whether separated from or still attached to the rest of the fish, have an extensive history in culinary practices and have been embedded in various cultural rituals and media references.

Culinary Uses

Fish heads are often considered delicacies in many cuisines worldwide. They can be used in a variety of dishes:

• Fish Stock: Boiled fish heads release flavors and nutrients, forming the base for soups and broths.
• Direct Consumption: In certain cultures, specially prepared fish heads are consumed directly due to their rich taste and texture.

Anatomy

The head of a fish is a complex structure comprising various components, each with its distinct function and features.

• Snout: This includes the region from the eye to the forward-most point of the upper jaw.
• Operculum: Commonly known as the gill cover, it's absent in sharks and jawless fish.
• Cheek: This extends from the eye to the preopercle. The operculum and preopercle may possess spines in some fish species.
• Spiracle: Found in sharks and certain primitive bony fish, it's a small extra gill opening located behind each eye.
• Skull: The fish skull consists of loosely connected bones. While jawless fish and sharks only have a cartilaginous endocranium, bony fishes feature additional dermal bone, creating a coherent skull roof, particularly in lungfish and holost fish. The lower jaw uniquely defines a chin.

Cultural Aspects

Fish heads have permeated cultural practices, legends, and media across the world.

Symbolism in Folk Practices

• Sicilian Rituals: In Sicilian witchcraft, placing a fish head on an enemy's doorstep is a customary practice believed to avert malevolent intentions. This ritual has ties to mafia fishing families and can be traced back to 1308, as referenced by Dante in his magnum opus, the Divine Comedy.
• Signaling Hostilities: In heightened feuds, especially within the mafia context, the introduction of a goat or horse head can indicate an escalation in disagreements.

Media References

• The HBO series The Sopranos featured multiple dream sequences with Tony Soprano encountering talking fish heads, symbolizing various psychological and situational aspects of his life.
• A notable protest by Green Peace involved the dumping of 5 tons of fish heads at the French Fisheries Ministry's doorstep, highlighting the group's environmental concerns related to fishing practices.

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  Fish head (red tilefish) Japan

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  Braised fish head in pot

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  Steamed salmon head

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  Mashed pepper fish head

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  Assamese khar dish with rohu fish heads

See Also

• Fish anatomy
• Culinary arts
• Sicilian culture
• Green Peace