Anadara mollusk - a seafood delicacy

 

This is a eurybiont species that lives in bottom biocenoses with a salinity of both 32–35 ‰ in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and up to 11–12 ‰ in the Sea of ​​Azov, where it was first recorded in hydrobiological samples in April 1989 in the north of the Kazantip Bay.

 

Until recently, the ability of these mollusks to burrow into the silt did not allow them to be caught using standard bottom dredges, which restrained the spread of the fishery. To solve this problem, the employees of the Azov-Black Sea branch of VNIRO developed a number of experimental fishing gear that allow catching even mollusks buried in the ground. Testing of experimental dredges in the summer and autumn of this year in the Kerch Strait and the Sea of ​​Azov showed their effectiveness.

 

In parallel with testing the fishing gear, the branch employees carried out work to study the number and spatial distribution of mollusks with a subsequent assessment of their reserves in the Sea of ​​Azov. Information was collected on the size and mass structure of their populations, water samples were taken to determine salinity, and hydrometeorological data were collected.

 

In 2024, the catches of the scapharka were represented by mollusks with a shell length of 30 to 55 mm. All individuals were of commercial size. The most numerous were size groups of 40-44 mm, making up 43% of the sample. The individual weight of the mollusk with the shell varied from 9 to 35 g.

 

The results of the dredging surveys showed the presence of commercial scapharka of the above-mentioned sizes in the Kerch Strait. In the pre-strait of the Sea of ​​Azov, the catch of mollusk decreased slightly.

 

Anadara has a high biological value, as evidenced by its unique amino acid and fatty acid composition, as well as the presence of such a biogenic microelement as iron. The data obtained by VNIRO scientists indicate the safety of the muscle tissue and hemolymph of the anadara in terms of the content of toxic elements, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and radionuclides.

 

The protein content in the anadara caught in the Kerch Strait was 10.8±0.5%, about 1/3 of which is represented by connective tissue proteins, which causes increased rigidity of the finished product from this mollusk and requires a special approach to its processing. Mechanical tenderization or grinding can be used to destroy connective tissue fibers and soften the meat of the anadara. Other processing methods include sous-vide technology, which involves heat treatment at lower temperatures under vacuum, or enzymatic processing with final products in the form of hydrolysates, sauces, and pastes.

 

The Azov-Black Sea branch of VNIRO is conducting research in the direction of enzymatic hydrolysis of the muscle tissue of the anadara in order to obtain a functional product - a source of small peptide fractions and free amino acids with antioxidant properties. Considering the insignificant commercial size of the anadara, the advantage of this technology is that all the soft tissues and hemolymph of the mollusks are used for processing.

 

Long-term observations and study of the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the populations of the bivalve mollusk anadara allow scientists of the Azov-Black Sea branch of VNIRO to consider this valuable fishery object as a promising source of raw materials for the food industry.

 

Press service of VNIRO