Product Form

Fish can be offered for sale prepared in a number of different ways.

• Whole ungutted fish
  Whole fish should not have burst bellies as this is an indication of spoilage.
  
  
• Gutted fish
  Gutted fish should be free of all gut pieces, with clean washed gut cavity. The head may or may not be left on. If the fish is cooked "head-on" the gills should be removed as should every trace of blood along the back bone.
  
  
• Steaks and Cutlets
  Steaks and cutlets are made by cutting across the backbone of the fish. Steaks and cutlets should be about 2.5cm/1 inch in thickness. All traces of blood must be removed from steaks/cutlets. Steaks/cutlets should be neatly cut.
  
  
• Block fillet/Butterfly fillet
  With this type of fillet the flesh is cut from both sides of a fish with the two pieces remaining held together by the skin. Small whiting, herring and mackerel are often filleted in this manner.
  
  
• Side/Single fillet
  This is a slice of flesh removed from one side of a fish by a cut made parallel to the back bone. All fins and bones, with the exception of pin bones, are removed. Cod is usually filleted in this way.
  
  
• Darne
  A darne is a portion of a fillet cut perpendicular to where the backbone used to be. Salmon is often prepared in this way.

Certain types of fish are presented for sale in forms suited to the species.

Ray is normally sold as wings with the skin removed.

Monkfish - quite often the head is removed and just the tail presented. The skin is normally removed.

Rock salmon is difficult to fillet and skin. Normally it is presented for sale in lengths (filleted and skinned) with just the central cartilage remaining.

Squid may be presented with head and tentacles removed and body opened out resembling a triangular shape.