What's that in my tog fillet?

[tufnik]

Been catching and eating togs for 3 years. Caught and filleted a couple togs over the weekend. Don't think I ever saw this before. Anyone know what those black things are? Some web site said it's veins. Veins!?!?

[Redfish12]

I've found these in mine over the years and I always thought it was just blood vessels. I'm interested to see what other say too!


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[AbuMasgouf]

Sorry Efrin I couldn't look past the nice THICK and JUICY fillets! LOL

I'm also thinking that's it's veins or blood lines. But I too want to see what others say

[Romo]

Seen this before in tog and flounder. Just ate it anyway and I'm still here

[DanMarino]

Mercury?
Ha, I really have no clue. Haven't seen that before.

[J.A. Veil]

Maybe the tog had been feeding on squid and got some ink in its tissue.

[ComeOnFish]

I see them on fall togs (CBBT) ocassionally. Saw a few on CHSP togs. Yes, I saw them on flounders too.
You catch and I take home.

joe

[Slobber Bob]

Interesting.... I've never seen anything like that in any of the togs I've kept over the years.

I'd still eat it

[mytmouse]

Here's a thread about them from another site: http://www.spearboard.com/showthread.php?t=112133 They even have a link to a NOAA article about it later in the thread. Consensus is veins.

[sparky1423]

Could just be something they feed on in the colder months that are not available throughout the year. In restaurants, I filleted several species of fish...I've cut tumors out of swordfish and tuna. I've seen live parasites in the bottom of every flounder container that was shipped from local seafood suppliers...the photos above look harmless. Could also be caused by a diet of blue mussels if they are available in the area?

[Salty Dog]

Gang, that is know as flavoring. Yum.

[tufnik]

Here's a thread about them from another site: http://www.spearboard.com/showthread.php?t=112133 They even have a link to a NOAA article about it later in the thread. Consensus is veins.

Thanks for the link, MYTM.

"...These spots were found to be deposits of dark pigment surrounded by fibrosis. This pigment originates from their
high use of blue mussels as prey. These spots are considered harmless to the fish and to consumers."

Must have quite a number of blue or black mussels along the CBBT pilings. Anyway, I rest assured of eating tog. In fact, I'm having broiled tog for dinner tonight...yes!

[tufnik]

My wife usually bakes, fries, or blackens tog with flour, panko or other spices. Today she tried something different; she broiled the tog fillets with just pepper sprinkled on top. Never broiled tog before.

Two surprises:
- Shrinkage was more pronounced compared with other cooking methods.
- It tasted like scallops/crab to me. It tasted good! My two grown-up sons ate tog before, and they said it tasted like steamed Alaskan king crab, the kind you buy at Costco at $16/lb. We ate it without any sauce on it.

The taste took us by complete surprise. Consider it as poor-man’s crab…lol…

[Cowpokey]

One of the things people do up in Alaska is boil halibut chunks in 7UP, they call it "Poor man's lobster". I never actually tried it, we deep-fried halibut fresh off the water with panco breading...delicious.

[longislandtomd]

Did you bleed the fish immediately after catching?