Is a Sanddab good to eat?

Is a Sanddab good to eat?
Is a Sanddab good to eat?

Is a Sanddab good to eat?

  • Dogs can eat sanddabs. Sanddabs are high in omega-3 fatty acids which are good for a dog's heart and cardiovascular health.

Is a Sanddab good to eat?

  • Sanddab has low mercury content.
  • Sanddab is a small fish with small fine bones. It is less likely to cause choking, but it is best to remove the bones as a precaution.
  • Raw fish may contain bacteria and parasites.

Is a Sanddab good to eat?

Servings

Is a Sanddab good to eat?

  • Clean the sanddab thoroughly by removing the entrails.
  • Cook the fish thoroughly, remove the bones, and give it to your dog as an occasional treat.

You’ve heard the saying, “They sure are good, but it takes a whole mess of them to make a meal.” That saying definitely applies to sanddabs.

You could not ask for a better-tasting fish. It really does taste like a halibut, only sweeter. A 10-inch sanddab is a very mature animal, so figure on two or probably three fish per person at the dinner table.

They are easy to find and fish for. Near Santa Barbara, there are plenty of sanddabs on the flats near the row of four oil rigs about five miles out of the harbor. Another place where they congregate in big numbers is off of Ellwood in 250 to 300 feet. The deeper parts of the Ventura Flats, in the eastern part of the Santa Barbara Channel, hold plenty of sanddabs.

I’ve encountered them wherever relatively flat mud or sand bottoms occur in 180 feet and deeper. My favorite depth range is 200 to 300 feet. They seem to congregate best in that depth range, and it is easy to fish those depths with medium rigs and 5 to 8 ounces of weight.

One really nice thing about sanddabs is that they are relatively easy to fish for. They are not at all picky, they always seem to be in the mood to eat, and they compete so fiercely for food that they bite quickly and immediately take the bait deeply into their mouths so that competitors can’t steal the morsel away. All you do is bait a multihook sanddab rig, drop it down to the bottom and wait for a few bumps before reeling up the fish.

Squid strips are the usual offerings. Sanddabs love them, and they stay on the hook well. That’s reason enough to stick with squid strips. Other baits will also work. I’ve caught them on pieces of anchovy or sardines, shrimp, mussel, clams and even small plastic grubs. They aggressively swarm a baited rig, so even hooks that are several feet up off of the bottom tend to get bit frequently. It is pretty common to bring up several fish on one drop.

Once you have a bunch of them aboard, it is time to think about taking proper care of them.

The way we take care of them aboard my charter boat, WaveWalker, is to simply cut off the head and body cavity. Take the fish home and cook it whole. There is no need to remove the skin because it is very thin and cooks nearly entirely away. I’ve heard great reports from folks who have fried them, baked or broiled them, and barbecued them. Possibly the most common recipe is to fry them for 30 seconds on each side in hot peanut oil.

I just have to share some sanddab humor with you. When my passengers ask me the best way to prepare sanddabs, I explain that our nickname for them is “pop tarts” — and ask if they have a toaster at home. I won’t claim to have tried that myself, but I’ve had a few repeat groups who said it works just fine — as long as they remember to wipe all the slime off first, so they don’t mess up their toaster!

— Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need. Visit softininc.blogspot.com to learn more about the organization and how you can help. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.

Pacific Sanddab is rarely the sole target for a given fishery, and is mostly caught by bottom trawl. [2]

Image

Is a Sanddab good to eat?

Gloved hand holding Pacific sanddab. Drew Talley

Seasonal availability

  • Available year-round, but with less frequency in winter. [10]

Regulatory and management authority

  • Managed federally by the NOAA fisheries and, as established by the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) through the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). [8]
  • As established by the Marine Life Management Act, the California Fish and Game Commission (CFGC) regulates the fishery in state waters, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) manages this fishery. [12]
  • The Groundfish Collective combines input from the industry and government entities to inform regulatory and/or management measures for this fishery. [13]

Gear type

  • Fisheries that catch this species use bottom trawl. [9]

Status of the fishery

  • No seasonal regulations in place—Pacific Sanddab is rarely the intended catch.
  • Little concern about the stock which was estimated to be at 95.5% of its unfished level in 2013, well below the management target for flat fish. [2]
  • The harvest rate has steadily declined over the last decade, meaning that fewer fish are being caught in relation to the year’s spawning rate. [2]

Potential ecosystem impacts

  • Bottom trawl has the potential to capture bycatch and damage the seafloor; this species is mostly found in sand and mud which can recover relatively easily from trawling. [9]

 

THE SEAFOOD

This fish has sweet tasting meat but savory skin. It is said to taste like trout and French Fries, respectively. [3]

Image

Is a Sanddab good to eat?

Sanddab filets with capers, rice, a lemon wedge, and broccoli. Jay Cross/flickr

Is a Sanddab good to eat?

Edible portions

  • Edible whole or as fillets. [3]

Description of meat

  • Meat is sweeter than most other fish, akin to trout. [3]

Culinary uses

  • Can be cut into fillets and deboned after cooking. [3]
  • For a recipe for pan fried sanddab with olive oil, butter and light breading, visit 365 Whole Foods. [3]
  • For a recipe for san dabs meuniere, visit Emeril Lagasse. [14]
  • The skin can be left on (it tastes like fries). [3]

Nutritional information 

  • 1 fillet is considered a serving, roughly 100 grams. [11]

Toxicity report

  • No known toxins.

Seasonal availability

  • It is available year-round, but with less frequency in winter. [10]

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Is a Sanddab good to eat?

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Is a Sanddab good to eat?

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Is a Sanddab good to eat?

California Seafood

References

[1] California Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2017. Web.  www.wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Ocean/Fish-ID/Sportfish/Flatfishes. Accessed: 9 April 2017

[2] He, X. 2013. Status of the U.S. Pacific Sanddab Resource in 2013. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Santa Cruz, CA, United States. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.397.6953&rep=rep1&type=pdf.

[3] Nordahl, D. 2015. Pacific Sanddab (Citharichtys sordidus). www.365wholefoods.blogspot.com/2012/10/pacific-sanddab-citharichthys-sordidus.html. Accessed: 9 April 2017

[4] Fishbase. 2017. Web. www.fishbase.org/summary/Citharichthys-sordidus.html. Accessed: 17 April 2017

[5] Monterey Bay Aquarium. 2017. Web. www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/fishes/sanddab. Accessed: 17 April 2017

[6] Animalia Life. 2017. Web. www.animalia-life.club/fishes/pacific-sanddab.html Accessed: 17 April 2017.

[7] Fishsource. 2017. Web. www.fishsource.org/search?query=pacific%20sanddab. Accessed:  30 April 2017.

[8] Groundfish Fishery Management Plan. Pacific Fishery Management Council. 2017. Web. https://www.pcouncil.org/groundfish-fishery-management-plan-and-amendments/. 

[9] Seafood Watch Consulting Researcher. 2014. Groundfish, California Groundfish Collective. Seafood Watch. Web. https://www.seafoodwatch.org/-/m/sfw/pdf/reports/g/mba_seafoodwatch_california_groundfish_collective_fishery_report.pdf. Accessed 8 Sept 2020. 

[10] Seaforager. 2013. Web. www.seaforager.com/sand-dab. Accessed: 9 April 2017.

[11] Fish, Flatfish (flounder and sole), raw. n.d. Nutrition Data. Accessed: 21 September 2017. Web. https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/finfish-and-shellfish-products/4054/2. Accessed 4 Sept 2020. 

[12] Marine Life Management Act. n.d. California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Web. https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/MLMA. Accessed 24 August 2020.

[13] The Nature Conservancy. 2015. The California Groundfish Collective. Web. http://www.cagroundfish.org/#our-story. Accessed 2 December 2020.

[14] Lagasse, E. Emeril Lagasse. n.d. Sand Dabs Meuniere. Web. https://www.emerils.com/125821/sand-dabs-meuniere. Accessed 19 January 2021. 

[15] Wikipedia. 2006. Citharichthys sordidus. Digital image. Web. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_sanddab#/media/File:Citharichthys…. Accessed 22 February 2021. 

[16] nmoorhatch. iNaturalist. 2010. Digital image. Web. https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/77511397. Accessed 22 February 2021. 

[17] Cross, J. flickr. 2011. Digital image. Web. https://flickr.com/photos/jaycross/6038675929. Accessed 22 February 2021. 

Can you eat Sanddab?

Sand dabs are a small type of flounder, generally weighing in at less than a pound and measuring just 6 to 8 inches long. The fish have a sweet, soft texture that is uncommonly moist and mild. Pacific sand dabs are considered a sustainable choice for seafood and can be sauted, fried, grilled, baked, or boiled.

What do Sanddab taste like?

This fish has sweet tasting meat but savory skin. It is said to taste like trout and French Fries, respectively.

Are sand dabs bony?

Because the sand dabs are the smallest of the flat fish, each fillet has a thin, spiny-looking bone running its length (the fillets are so small there would be nothing left if they were boned before cooking).

Can you eat sand dab skin?

The skin is paper thin and is eaten when cooked. Next time you are cooking fish for dinner try the Sand Dab Fillets. [wpurp-searchable-recipe]Sicilian Fishermen Sand Dab Fillets – – Sand Dab fillets, flour, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, Wash and dry the San Dab fillets. Season the flour with salt and pepper.