Quick smart: How the candles fish got its name? – Handelsblatt

The fish was once actually candles as a light source. Image: Wikipedia Public Domain

The human tendency to lighten at night its environment with the use of marine animals, has some Wal-kind to the brought brink of extinction. Because before gas or electricity illuminated the streets of our cities, the fat of marine mammals were used for the operation of street lights. Hard to imagine how many animals gave their lives to make shine with their blubber cities such as London or Paris in a bright light.

Fortunately for the animals the demand for whale products is greatly diminished, and the run still under the guise of scientific research by hunting “unteachable” whaling nations such as Japan can not be really dangerous to marine mammals. The same applies to a different sea creatures, the human ingenuity to the lamp are made: the candle fish ( Thaleichthys pacificus )

The. up to 30 centimeters large animal that inhabited the eastern North Pacific, was not only popular as a food fish with the natives on the American west coast. Its high fat content – up to 15 percent of his body weight is pure fat – also made him an important source of fish oil. For this he was first fermented and then cooked with the oil floating on the water could be siphoned off. On its own trade routes, the so-called fat paths, oil and dried fish were transported to the hinterland, where they found a coveted goods numerous customers.

The fish oil did not last in the lamps use with which people lit their homes , But the candle fish was also much immediate use as a light source – and this fact it owes its name: Some people dry the fish, they attracted a wick and lit it on. The high fat content; ensuring that the fish was burning like a real candle slowly to himself.

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As with the whale has modern lighting technology and the candle fish for falling demand taken care of. Full recovers in the populations but still not. Even in 2010 some candles fish populations were recorded by the US Fisheries Agency in the list of endangered stocks