Pelagic Fish: What Are They, Which Ones, and What Groups Are They In?
What are Pelagics?
Pelagic fish refer to small species that live in mid-water or near the surface. At the plant, species such as mackerel (morenillo), bullet tuna, yellowtail, silversides, lookdown, round scad, hake, and sardine are processed. Pelagics are highly sought-after products in Africa, Asia, and Spain. Specifically, we export frozen mackerel to countries like Spain and Peru, and bullet tuna to South Africa.
They are grouped into two categories:
Nekton: consisting of fish, turtles, cetaceans, and cephalopods. Organisms capable of counteracting marine currents with their movements.
Plankton: usually small or microscopic organisms. They can be phytoplankton or zooplankton. These organisms cannot overcome marine currents and are usually carried by them.
Pelagic Exportation
Pelagic fishing is the most important in the world. Of course, technology has also had a significant impact in this field, taking it to very high levels of sophistication. 55% of the ocean surface is industrially exploited.
Their distribution is usually limited to a well-lit zone, from the surface to about two hundred meters deep, the layer in which these beings live is known as the photic zone. These species are being severely affected by overfishing.
Ecuador: A Strategic Point
The Ecuadorian industrial tuna fleet consists of 116 vessels, the most powerful in the Eastern Pacific. This is joined by the artisanal longline fleet, which amounts to about 2,500 boats. Ecuador is positioned as the second largest producer and leading exporter of tuna (after Thailand) and the third of shrimp (after China and Vietnam); it also has a significant export industry for pelagic fishing (Peru is the Latin American powerhouse in this type of product).
Types of Pelagics
Bullet tuna (Auxis thazard)
Lookdown (Selene peruviana)
Round scad (Peprilus medius)
