Fat (Per 100 gr)
0.7 g
Calories (Per 100 gr)
79 Kcal
Carbs (Per 100 gr)
0.8 g
Protein (Per 100 gr)
16.3 g
What is CuttleFish?
Cuttlefish are members of the cephalopod family, which includes squids and octopuses. Cuttlebones, a chalky interior shell, have been found washed up on beaches all around the world. These are commonly used as a calcium-rich nutritional supplement for budgie cages.
The most common cuttlefish seen on seas is a dangerous predator. Crabs, fish, and even little cuttlefish are no match for them! They reside in water up to 200 meters deep, but in the spring, they migrate to shallower waters to spawn. Their eggs are colored black with cuttlefish ink to resemble grapes, earning them the name "sea grapes." Cuttlefish live for two years and then die after breeding.
Cuttlefish are squid-like creatures with well-developed heads, huge eyes, and beak-like lips. They have a fin around their body, eight suckers on their arms, and two tentacles around their mouth. Cuttlefish come in a variety of colors, although most are blackish-brown, mottled, or striped. Cuttlebones washed up on the beach are white, chalky, oval-shaped, and have thin, tougher 'wings' at one end.
Persian Gulf Cuttlefish (Rainbow Squid)
The pharaoh cuttlefish (Sepia pharaonis) has a wide geographic distribution, ranging from Zanzibar to Australia and as far north as Japan. The Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and the Andaman Sea are all included.
Pharaoh cuttlefish can be found in shallow seas up to 130 meters deep. They forage for crustaceans and small fish by rising to the top of the water column at night. Their congregation depth ranges are determined by their geographic location.
At roughly 8 mm in length, young pharaoh cuttlefish are fairly well developed and even exhibit most adult characteristics (a hatchling size). The weight rise of pharaoh cuttlefish is slow during the first 60 days of life but increases dramatically in the fifth and sixth months. Within 4 to 5 months of hatching, the Pharaoh cuttlefish reaches sexual maturity.
IRAN CuttleFish Export
There are more than 50 companies that process, pack and export this fish in 4 southern provinces:
CuttleFish Health Benefits
Familiarity with the therapeutic benefits of Iranian squid will make you one of the particular customers and fans of this product.
This product is rich in essential vitamins and minerals for the body and if you can use this product in your diet, you can easily strengthen your immune system. If you suffer from a lot of stress and anxiety during the day, it is better to use squid in your diet and eat this product to reduce your stress level easily. Chinese consumers strongly believe that eating this fish and also its boiled ink bag greatly enhances sexual potency.
The cuttlefish is rich in iron and magnesium, so traditional medicine doctors strongly recommend the use of this product for people suffering from iron deficiency anemia because they believe that eating this product can easily Treat anemia without the need for the use of chemical drugs.
Spawning & Fishing
This species of fish spawns all the year, but its spawning season is from June to September. the fishing season starts in February and continues to May.
-
1
Spawning
June-September
-
2
Fishing
February-May
Cuttlefish Processing
Fishing
There are two types of fishing which are Creel and Trawl. Fishes that are harvested by creel have better quality and their skins are Intact but at the same time fishing by trawl can injure their skins and even their flesh and organs.
Cuttlefishes are categorized into 2 types of A, and B based on fishing.
- A: Fished by creel, the body has fewer scratches. and the flesh is not injured.
- B: Fished by trawl, the body has scratches and also raptures.
Cuttlefish | Quality A
Cuttlefish | Quality B
Sorting
After fishing, the Cuttlefishes will get transferred to the factory immediately. At this time workers start to sort. The laborers sort the fishes base on their Quality (A, B) and Size. this chart shows the sizing range based on the weight (grams).
| 1 | 200-300 |
| 2 | 300-500 |
| 3 | 500-700 |
| 4 | 700-1000 |
| 5 | 1000-2000 |
| 6 | 2000-3000 |
| 6 | 3000-UP |
1000/2000
500/1000
Packing
After sorting, the workers start to pack the fish based on their quality.
Freezing (-18° C _ -23° C)
After packing the factory starts the freezing process and after freezing, they will transfer to the buyer. It's worth mentioning that a vet is checking fish all the time and you can be sure about the hygiene of fish.
Cuttlefish | Frozen
CuttleFish Price
HS-CODE: 030749
You can buy a kg of cuttlefish for around 4-5.5$. There is a fee for packaging and shipping that should be added to the price of fresh fish. Based on every country's costume law and taxes the customers' price (local customers in destination countries) varies.
- Based on this article which is been written in May. 2022, the price of cuttlefish is between 4$ (27¥) and 5.8$ (39¥) per kilogram depending on the quality.
- 1 one 40 ft. container actually contains up to 26MT of this fish.
- Chinese buyers must be careful to buy from registered companies, the companies which are authorized by China Customs.
- The processing stages must be performed in the best way so you can make sure about the health and hygiene of the product.
Iran's squid exports to neighboring and Asian countries have boosted the country's economic cycle and currency exchange. This product is exported to countries such as Turkey, Russia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and the export of this product has had a great impact on the growth of the country's economy. Squid is one of the invertebrates that hundreds of tons of this fish are caught by fishermen every year and after processing in processing companies, it is filleted or exported to far and near countries.
How to Identify a fresh Cuttlefish?
It's about your senses, touch, smell, and sight. Trust your feelings you won't regret.
A fresh fish has a clear shiny eye
Examine the eyes of the fish before handling it. They should not be sunken or foggy, but rather clear, plump, and glossy. You can be fairly certain that the fish is fresh and healthy if the eyes appear to be in good condition. Even when they are fresh, some fish eyes (including Barramundi, Kingfish, and Mackerel) might have a somewhat foggy appearance due to them being swiftly cooled in ice after harvest, so look for plump, wet, and shining when inspecting their eyes!
A fresh fish doesn't smell like a swamp
A fresh fish should smell like mineral water or cucumbers, not like swamp water or have strong earthy, ammonia, or 'fishy' odors. Cooking won't get rid of them; in fact, it's more likely to make them stronger.
Check the flesh of fish
Give the fish a quick poke if the fishmonger allows it... The flesh should be resilient to the touch when touched, springing back as if you were pressing on your own body. The outside of the fish should be completely covered in a clear, translucent slime that has a pristine sheen to it. Scales should completely cover the skin; if they are loose or missing, this indicates age or exposure to extreme temperature.
