Pomfrets are

perciform Perciformes (), also called the Percomorpha or Acanthopteri, is an order (biology), order or superorder of Actinopterygii, ray-finned fish. If considered a single order, they are the most numerous order of vertebrates, containing about 41% of a ...

fishes belonging to the family Bramidae. The family currently includes 20 species across seven genera. Several species are important food sources for humans, especially ''Brama brama'' in

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...

. The earlier form of the pomfret's name was "", a word which probably ultimately comes from

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

''pampo'', referring to various fish such as the blue butterfish ('' Stromateus fiatola''). The fish meat is white in color.

Distribution

They are found globally in the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

, and

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

s, as well as numerous seas including the

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

, and

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...

. Nearly all species can be found in the high seas. However, fishes in the genera ''

Pterycombus ''Pterycombus'' is a genus of pomfret distinguished by greatly elongated dorsal and anal fins. Along with the genus '' Pteraclis'', these fishes are commonly referred to as fanfishes. ''Pterycombus'' can be distinguished from ''Pteraclis'' by exa ...

'' and ''

Pteraclis ''Pteraclis'' is a genus of fish in the family Bramidae, the pomfrets. They are known commonly as fanfishes. The three species are distributed throughout the oceans of the world. Species Species include: * '' Pteraclis aesticola'' ( D. S. Jord ...

'' tend to be found off continental shelves. Further, fishes in the genus '' Eumegistus'' are hypothesized to be largely benthic and found to occupy deep water shelves. Some species of pomfrets are also known as monchong, specifically in Hawaiian cuisine.

Genera

The following genera are placed within the family Bramidae: * '' Brama''

Bloch Bloch is a surname of German origin. Notable people with this surname include: A–F * (1859-1914), French rabbi *Adele Bloch-Bauer (1881-1925), Austrian entrepreneur *Albert Bloch (1882–1961), American painter * (born 1972), German motor journal ...

& Schneider, 1801 * '' Eumegistus''

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

, 1922 * ''

'' Gronow, 1772 * ''

Fries French fries (North American English), chips (British English), finger chips (Indian English), french-fried potatoes, or simply fries, are '' batonnet'' or ''allumette''-cut deep-fried potatoes of disputed origin from Belgium and France. The ...

, 1837 * ''

Taractes ''Taractes'' is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes from the family Bramidae, the pomfrets. ''Taractes'' can be distinguished from other bramid genera but having a flat, or slightly curved profile, between the eyes (unlike the definitive arched p ...

'' Lowe, 1843 * ''

Taractichthys ''Taractichthys'' is a genus of marine ray-finned fishes from the family Bramidae, the pomfret Pomfrets are perciform fishes belonging to the family Bramidae. The family currently includes 20 species across seven genera. Several species are ...

Mead Mead () is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey mixed with water, and sometimes with added ingredients such as fruits, spices, grains, or hops. The alcoholic content ranges from about 3.5% ABV to more than 20%. The defining character ...

Maul A maul may refer to any number of large hammers, including: * War hammer, a medieval weapon * Post maul, a type of sledgehammer * Spike maul, railroad hand tool * Splitting maul, heavy wood-splitting tool resembling both axe and hammer People ...

, 1958 * ''

Xenobrama ''Xenobrama microlepis'', the golden pomfret, is a species of pomfret, a type of fish, found in the Subantarctic Pacific Ocean. This species is known to grow to a length of SL. This species is the only known member of the genus ''Xenobrama''. ' ...

'' Yatsu & Nakamura, 1989

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q751386 af:Pomfret (vis)

Distribution

Genera

See also

References