are usually also bones projecting into the fins,
and fish in the herring, salmon, and other
families have small “floating” or “pin” bones
unattached to the main skeleton, which help
stiffen some of the connective-tissue sheets
and direct the muscular forces along them.
Because fish bones are smaller, lighter, and
less mineralized with calcium than land-
animal bones, and because their collagen is
less tough, they can be softened and even
dissolved by a relatively short period near the
boil (hence the high calcium content of
canned salmon). Fish skeletons are even eaten
on their own: in Catalonia, Japan, and India
they’re deep-fried until crunchy.
Fish Innards The innards of fish and shellfish
offer their own special pleasures. Fish eggs
are described below (p. 239). Many fish livers
are prized, including those of the goatfish
(“red mullet”), monkfish, mackerel, ray, and
cod, as is the comparable organ in