Bonefish is popular amongst people who enjoy catching fish as a sport. This saltwater fish dwells in shallow waters around tropical regions.
Catching Bonefish as a sports activity has gained popularity to a great extent. Places such as the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and Florida have created a new sport called Bonefishing. However, anglers throw the fish back into the water, so the question remains, are Bonefish good to eat?
As much as Bonefish is well known for sporting, it is an uncommon food item. People can eat Bonefish, but it takes a lot of knowledge to clean and prepare it. Without proper preparation, a Bonefish can be deadly to consume.
Continue scrolling if you want to know more about Bonefish and why they are not a typical seafood delicacy despite their popularity.
Are Bonefish Edible?
As the name suggests, a Bonefish is filled with countless bones. Some of these bones are so tiny that it can be challenging to remove them. Some cultures, such as Indigenous people, have been consuming Bonefish for decades.
To answer your main question, people do not see Bonefish as a delicacy. Although you can eat it, it takes proper knowledge and patience to prepare a Bonefish for eating.
Additionally, their eating habits have made Bonefish poisonous. They are carnivores and feed on snails, crabs, worms, shrimps, and other small fish. Bonefish carry marine microalgae, which can poison the person consuming this fish.
Is It Safe To Consume Bonefish?
Apart from marine microalgae, Bonefish contain Clupeotoxin. No matter how much you can cook the fish, it is unlikely that the poison will disappear.
If you consume a fish that is contaminated with Clupeotoxin, you will suffer from dry mouth, diarrhea, chills, headache, rapid heartbeat, and nausea in the span of an hour. The death rate for consuming a Clupeotoxin contaminated Bonefish is high.
However, the bigger Bonefish have a higher chance of containing this toxin. Smaller ones that are about 6 inches in size are safe to eat.
Therefore, consuming Bonefish is not actually safe unless you can find the smaller ones. Although getting poisoned with Clupeotoxin can be deadly, it is rare.
Despite the rarity of the condition, it is not worth trying an unknown fish out of curiosity by putting your health at risk.
What Do Bonefish Taste Like?
Bonefish are fast swimmers. Therefore, they have darker flesh compared to most fish and have a fishy taste. Many have described its taste as delicate and sweet.
If you can successfully debone the fish and prepare it correctly, it can make for a mouthwatering source of protein.
However, you will not be able to make fillets out of Bonefish as separating the meat from the bones is challenging. Therefore are a number of other recipes you can try if you really want to experience eating Bonefish.
Related: What does Crawfish Taste Like?
Can You Eat Raw Bonefish?
Hawaiian people prefer eating raw Bonefish. They eat them with rice in poke bowls. To eat the fish raw, they massage it to loosen the flesh.
The next step is to scrape the flesh from the fish from top to bottom using a spoon. They usually eat the small bones with the meat and take out the bigger ones.
Related: Can You Eat Mahi Mahi Raw?
Catching Bonefish
Catching a Bonefish can be pretty challenging. They are fast, making it hard for you to grasp them. However, with specific techniques, you can catch these slippery swimmers.
The first step is to be extremely still while aiming to catch Bonefish. Make no noise or movement as it can spook them away. You can spot a Bonefish more clearly while they are tailing.
Tailing is when Bonefish dig for food using their snouts in shallow waters. In the process, their tails can be seen hanging out of the water.
Another well-known way to catch Bonefish is fly fishing. It can be the most and best effective method in catching a healthy Bonefish that you can devour. You can use crab or shrimp patterns or slider fly for fly fishing. Regular fishing method can also be used to catch it.
Preparing A Bonefish For Eating
The most crucial and challenging part about eating Bonefish is preparing it. It requires a lot of effort, knowledge, and patience.
The first step is to throw the fish into the refrigerator and let it rest overnight. Working on a Bonefish that you have just caught can be challenging.
After you have let it sit in the refrigerator, remove the scales from the back and detach its head. Then, rinse it underwater.
The next step is to slice through the underbelly and take out the guts. The cavity might contain fat deposits, be sure to remove it as well. After you are done, wash the carcass once again.
Next, lay it on its belly and cut to the edge through the ribcage, but not entirely through it. Now you can open the section of the fillet and scoop the meat out. Repeat the same process on the flip side of the fish.
How To Cook A Bonefish?
There are numerous ways you can cook Bonefish. From frying to baking to making soups, the options are endless.
Although you can not fry or grill an entire Bonefish due to the extensive number of bones, you can cook the fillets by pan-frying. All you need to do is that you fry the fish on both sides for a few minutes until they turn brown.
If you somehow manage to debone the Bonefish thoroughly, you can try baking it in an oven. Adding your preferred seasoning and lemon juice can bring out the original flavor of the Bonefish.
Bake the Bonefish in a preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes to cook your newfound seafood.
One of the very popular and famous ways to cook Bonefish is making fishcakes. To make Bonefish fishcakes, add eggs to the Bonefish meat and roll it in flour.
You can give your desired shape to the patties before throwing them in the oil and frying it. Apart from all of these, you can also try making soups or ceviche with Bonefish.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is so special about Bonefish?
Bonefish are popular and for the right reasons. They are fierce when it comes to fighting predators or anglers.
This slippery grey fish is an extremely fast swimmer and can sprint at a longer distance than most fish. It gives a stricter fight to anglers than any fish that might be double its size. This reason is enough to make Bonefish more special than most fish species.
Additionally, Bonefish tend to have a longer lifespan. Some of its specimens have lived for over 20 years.
Do Bonefish taste good?
Bonefish taste delicious, only if you can get to the meat part after deboning the fish correctly. As the name suggests, Bonefish has numerous small and large bones. Though the larger bones are easier to take out, it can be challenging to remove the smaller bones.
Deboning this fish is the toughest part of preparing it. In most cases, people are not able to remove each and every bone. As a result, you might get a mouthful of bones with each bite. Keeping the bones aside, Bonefish are said to be great in terms of flavor and taste.
How do you cook Bonefish?
You can cook Bonefish however you want to. On islands, such as Hawaii, people prefer eating fish raw in sushi, ceviche, or poke bowls. Another popular way of cooking Bonefish is making a patty or fishcake. People even bake an entire Bonefish.
You can get creative with the cooking and discover new ways of preparing this much-anticipated dish. If you genuinely really want to get the taste of natural Bonefish, it is advisable to add a bit of citrus, such as lemon juice, while cooking.
Conclusion
Bonefish are mesmerizing creatures, and catching them as a sports activity is infamous for a reason. Although Bonefish can be tough fighters, anglers enjoy the adventure of catching them.
However, anglers do not catch them with the intention of having Bonefish as their next meal. They simply throw them back into the water. In fact, in some places, it is illegal to keep Bonefish.
If you still want to taste Bonefish, feel free to go ahead. But be sure to catch the smaller ones as you might end up getting poisoned while trying out a new food item. If you can get past the deboning and cleaning part, all the hassle to prepare this fish might end up being worth it.
Hope you got a lot of authentic information on are Bonefish good to eat or not.
