1/7/2019 Ilish - Wikipedia

Ilish
Tenualosa ilisha (ilish, hilsa, hilsa herring "ইিলশ" in Bangla and Australia, or hilsa shad) is a
species of fish related to the herring, in the Clupeidae family. It is a very popular and sought-after food
Tenualosa ilisha
fish in the southern region of Asia. It is Bangladesh's national fish.[1] The fish contributes about 12% of
the total fish production and about 1.15% of GDP in Bangladesh. On 6 August 2017 Directorate of
Patent, Design and Trademark (DPDT) under the Ministry of Industries, Bangladesh has declared the
recognition of ilish as the product of Bangladesh. Sixty-five percent of total produced ilish in the world
is produced in Bangladesh which applied for Geographical Indication (GI) in 2004. About 450,000
people are directly involved in the catching of the fish as a large part of their livelihood; around four to
five million people are indirectly involved with the trade.[2]

Contents
Common names
Description and habitat Scientific classification
Food value
Kingdom: Animalia
Ilish in culture
Overfishing and possible extinction Phylum: Chordata
See also Class: Actinopterygii
References Order: Clupeiformes
External links
Family: Clupeidae
Subfamily: Alosinae
Common names Genus: Tenualosa
Other names include: ilish, ellis, palla fish, hilsha, ilih etc. (Bengali: ইিলশ: ilish, Assamese: ইলীহ/ Species: T. ilisha
ইলীিহ: ilih/ilihi, Gujarati: મોદાર/પા વા: Modar or Palva, Odia: ଇଲି ଶ ି : ilishi, Sindhī: ‫ ﭘﻠﻮ ﻣﮁﻲ‬pallo machhi,
Pulasa In Telugu). The name ilish is also used in India's Assamese, Bengali-and Odia community. In
Binomial name
Iraq it is Called Sboor (‫)ﺻﺒﻮر‬. In Malaysia and Indonesia, it is commonly known as terubuk. Due to its Tenualosa ilisha
unique features of being oily and tender, some Malays call it 'terubuk unno'. (F. Hamilton, 1822)

Synonyms
Description and habitat
The fish is marine; freshwater; brackish; pelagic-neritic; anadromous; depth range ? - 200 m. Within a
Clupanodon ilisha Hamilton,
tropical range; 34°N - 5°N, 42°E - 97°E in marine and freshwater. It can grow up to 60 cm in length 1822
with weights of up to 3 kg. It is found in rivers and estuaries in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Myanmar Clupea ilisha (Hamilton, 1822)
(also known as Burma) and the Persian Gulf area where it can be found in the Tigris and Euphrates
Hilsa ilisha (Hamilton, 1822)
rivers in and around Iran and southern Iraq.[3] It has no dorsal spines but 18 – 21 dorsal soft rays and
anal soft rays. The belly has 30 to 33 scutes. There is a distinct median notch in upper jaw. Gill rakers Macrura ilisha (Hamilton, 1822)
fine and numerous, about 100 to 250 on lower part of arch and the fins are hyaline. The fish shows a
Tenualosa illisha (Hamilton,
dark blotch behind gill opening, followed by a series of small spots along the flank in juveniles. Color in
1822)
life, silver shot with gold and purple. The species filter feeds on plankton and by grubbing muddy
bottoms.[4] The fish schools in coastal waters and ascends up the rivers (anadromous) for around 50 – Tenualosa illsha (Hamilton,
100 km to spawn during the South West monsoons (June to September) and also in January to April . 1822)
April is the most fertile month for breeding of ilish. The young fish returning to the sea are known in
Clupea palasah Cuvier, 1829
Bangladesh as jatka, which includes any ilish fish up to 9 inches long.

Food value
The fish is popular food amongst the people of South Asia and in the Middle East, but especially with
Bengalis and Odias. Bengali fish curry is a popular dish made with mustard oil or seed. The Bengalis
popularly call this dish shorshe ilish. It is also popular in India, especially West Bengal, Odisha, Tripura,
Assam, Southern Gujarat, Mizoram and Andhra Pradesh. It is also exported globally.

In North America (where ilish is not always readily available) other shad fish are sometimes used as an
Ilish Fry an important part of Bengali
ilish substitute, especially in Bengali cuisine. This typically occurs near the East coast of North America, cuisine.
where fresh shad fish having similar taste can be found.
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In Bangladesh, fish are caught in the Padma-Meghna-Jamuna delta,[5] which flows into the Bay of Bengal
and Meghna (lower Brahmaputra), and Jamuna rivers. In India, the Rupnarayan (which has the
Kolaghater Ilish), Ganges, Mahanadi,[6] Chilka Lake,[7] Narmada and Godavari rivers are also famous.

In Pakistan, fish are caught in the Indus River. They are also caught in the sea, but some consider the
marine stage of the fish as not so tasty. The fish has very sharp and tough bones, making it problematic
to eat for some.

Ilish is an oily fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids.[8] Recent experiments have shown its beneficial effects in
decreasing cholesterol level in rats[9] and insulin level.[10] Ilish of Bangladesh

In Bengal and Odisha, ilish can be smoked, fried, steamed or baked in young plantain leaves, prepared
with mustard seed paste, curd, eggplant, different condiments like jira (cumin) and so on. It is said that
people can cook ilish in more than 50 ways. Ilish roe is also popular as a side dish. Ilish can be cooked in
very little oil since the fish itself is very oily.

Ilish in culture
In Andhra Pradesh, the saying goes "Pustelu ammi ayina Pulasa tinocchu", meaning It's worth
eating Pulasa/Ilish by even selling the nuptials.
Ilish is the National Fish of Bangladesh.[1] In many Bengali Hindu families a pair of ilish fishes
(Bengali: Joda Ilish) are bought on auspicious days, for example for special prayers or puja days like
for the Hindu Goddess of music, art and knowledge Saraswati Puja, which takes place in the
beginning of Spring or on the day of Lakshmi Puja (The Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity) which
takes place in autumn.[11] Some people offer the fish to the goddess Lakshmi, without which the
Puja is sometimes thought to be incomplete. In Bengal Ilish is also used during wedding as tattwa
gift. During Gaye Holud tattwa the family of the groom presents a pair of Ilish to the family of the
bride. However, due to the scarcity of Ilish, nowadays it is often replaced by Rohu in West Bengal,
while the tradition continues in Bangladesh.
In West Bengal, a famous dish which tastes good with fried ilish fish is 'khichudi' (a special way of Ilish egg plays an important role in
cooking lentils and rice together with some added herbs). It is popular among all Bengalis during Bengali cuisine.
monsoon which is known as the month of ilish. In West Bengal and Bangladesh, ilish is often termed
as the 'queen' of fishes.
This fish is called as PULASA in Godavari districts of Andhra Pradesh State in India. The name
Pulasa stays with the fish for a limited period between July-Sept of a year, when floods(muddy)water flow in
Godavari River. This time the fish is in high demand and sometimes $100 per kilo.[12][13]
Hilsha fish calle Pallo Machi is important part of Sindhi cuisine, prepared with numerous cooking methods.[14]
It can be deep fried and garnished with local spices, can be cooked with onions and potatoes into a
traditional fish meal or barbequed. The fish often has roe, which is called "aani" in Sindhi and is enjoyed as a
delicacy. Often fried alongside the palla and served with the fish fillets.[15][16][17]

Overfishing and possible extinction

The species is overfished now. It is becoming rare to land 3 or 2 kg specimens. There have been consequent price
increases and collapsing populations. In the past ilish were not harvested between Vijaya Dashami and Saraswati
Puja due to some informal customs of Odia and Bengali Hindus as it is the time when the juvenile fish born
upstream make their way to the sea during that period. But as disposable incomes grew, wealthier consumers
abandoned the old traditions.[18] The paradox is that increasing prices have led to even more over fishing. The Shorshe Ilish, a dish of
advent of finer fishing nets and advanced trawling techniques, and environmental degradation of the rivers, has smoked ilish with mustard
worsened the situation. Fishermen have been ignoring calls to at least leave the juvenile "jatka" alone to seeds, has been an
important part of Bengali
repopulate the species. The fishing of the young jatka is now illegal in many countries. It is thought that some
cuisine.
83,000 seasonal fishermen are employed in catching them[19] and traders are bidding up the price of the fish to
exorbitant levels.[20] Furthermore, the changes brought about by global warming have led to a gradual depletion
of the ilish's breeding grounds, reducing populations further.[21] The fish is heading towards extinction in certain regions.[22]

See also
Bangladeshi cuisine
Bengali cuisine
Odia cuisine
Overfishing
Environmental impact of fishing
Documentary of Hilsa, Department of Fisheries, Bangladesh (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esKpqmaRyV8&list=PL1-nKnuW6jFWScBISFt
hfWQ5dAWDWmaio)

References
1. Webb, Lois Sinaiko; Roten, Lindsay Grace (2009), The Multicultural Cookbook for Students (https://books.google.com/books?id=fgWrCQAAQB
AJ), ABC-CLIO, ISBN 978-0-313-37559-0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilish 2/3
1/7/2019 Ilish - Wikipedia
2. Siddique, Abu Bakar. "Country's 6th Ilish sanctuary coming soon" (https://www.dhakatribune.com/uncategorized/2015/01/19/countrys-6th-ilish-s
anctuary-coming-soon). Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
3. [1] (http://ejfa.info/index.php/ejfa/article/viewFile/6455/3293)
4. "Tenualosa ilisha" (http://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?ID=1596&AT=ilisha). FishBase.
5. " 'Highway extortion responsible for surge in Ilish prices' " (http://www.dhakatribune.com/business/2016/apr/14/highway-extortion-responsible-su
rge-ilish-prices). Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
6. "Bioinformatics Centre, National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, India" (http://www.biosearch.in/publicOrganismPage.php?id=113036).
Biosearch.in. 1 February 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
7. page number 19-20 (http://www.worldlakes.org/uploads/Chilika_10.22.03.pdf)
8. [2] (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/216420655_Tenualosa_ilisha_A_rich_source_of_omega-3_PUFAs)
9. Banerjee I, Saha S, Dutta J (June 1992). "Comparison of the effects of dietary fish oils with different n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid compositions
on plasma and liver lipids in rats". Lipids. 27 (6): 425–8. doi:10.1007/BF02536383 (https://doi.org/10.1007%2FBF02536383). PMID 1630277 (ht
tps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1630277).
10. Mahmud I, Hossain A, Hossain S, Hannan A, Ali L, Hashimoto M (2004). "Effects of Hilsa ilisa fish oil on the atherogenic lipid profile and
glycaemic status of streptozotocin-treated type 1 diabetic rats" (http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/resolve/openurl?genre=article&sid=nlm:pub
med&issn=0305-1870&date=2004&volume=31&issue=1-2&spage=76). Clin. Exp. Pharmacol. Physiol. 31 (1–2): 76–81. doi:10.1111/j.1440-
1681.2004.03953.x (https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1440-1681.2004.03953.x). PMID 14756688 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14756688).
11. "Ilish... a love story" (http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/column-ilish-a-love-story-1990784). dna. 24 May 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
12. "What the fish! Godavari Pulasa selling for Rs 4,000 per kg - Times of India" (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/visakhapatnam/what-the-fi
sh-godavari-pulasa-selling-for-rs-4000-per-kg/articleshow/60251761.cms). The Times of India. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
13. "Pulasa season starts early - Times of India" (https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajahmundry/Pulasa-season-starts-early/articleshow/5312
4756.cms). The Times of India. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
14. https://www.dawn.com/news/1224552
15. https://www.dawn.com/news/1204243
16. https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/10-reasons-to-get-invited-to-a-sindhi-household-for-dinner-1670547
17. http://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/food-wine/a-fishy-fable-if-its-monsoon-it-must-rain-hilsas-4741945/
18. Mazumdar, Jaideep (1 September 2008). "The Last Ilish Curry" (http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?238289). Outlook.
19. "Bid to protect hilsa without 'protecting' the fishermen" (http://www.thedailystar.net/bid-to-protect-hilsa-without-protecting-the-fishermen-25096).
The Daily Star. 22 May 2014.
20. Moitra, Kalyan (1 July 2002). "Hilsa may soon become endangered: Experts" (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2002-07-01/kolkata/27
293404_1_hilsa-fingerlings-indiscriminate-fishing). Times of India.
21. "Archived copy" (https://web.archive.org/web/20140522103819/http://www.celsias.com/article/bangladeshs-hilsa-fish-acts-early-warning-climat
e/). Archived from the original (http://www.celsias.com/article/bangladeshs-hilsa-fish-acts-early-warning-climate/) on 22 May 2014. Retrieved
1 July 2013.
22. [3] (http://blogs.economictimes.indiatimes.com/SilkStalkings/entry/bengalis-are-loving-ilish-to-extinction)

External links
Hilsa Research in the Bay of Bengal (http://harunbfdc.blogspot.com)
Tenualosa ilisha (http://en.bdfish.org/?s=Tenualosa+ilisha).BdFISH
"Tenualosa ilisha" (https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=551297). Integrated Taxonomic
Information System. Retrieved 6 June 2006.
Ilish Hut (ইিলশ হাট) (http://www.IlishHut.com/) | Online Ilish Fish Selling Website from Bangladesh
Mazumder SK, Alam MS (January–March 2009). "High levels of genetic variability and differentiation in hilsa shad, Tenualosa ilisha (Clupeidae,
Clupeiformes) populations revealed by PCR-RFLP analysis of the mitochondrial DNA D-loop region" (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/
PMC3032976). Genet Mol Biol. 32 (1): 190–196. doi:10.1590/S1415-47572009005000023 (https://doi.org/10.1590%2FS1415-47572009005000
023). PMC 3032976 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3032976). PMID 21637667 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/216376
67).
Roomiani L, Sotudeh AM, Hakimi Mofrad R (October 2013). "Reproductive biology of Hilsa shad (Tenualosa ilisha) in coastal Waters of the
Northwest of Persian Gulf" (http://www.jifro.ir/files/site1/user_files_eb12be/eng/fallahi-A-10-1272-74-9886856.pdf) (PDF). Iranian Journal of
Fisheries Sciences. 13 (1): 201–2015.

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