Figure 1-3. Muscles of Fish, Cross-Sectional Cut.
(1) The great lateral muscle. This muscle is the major muscle paralleling the
body cavity and backbone from the nape to the caudal fin.
(2) The median superficial muscle. These muscles are thin muscle layers
just beneath the skin in the same location as the lateral line. They are usually darker in
color than the great lateral muscle and contain higher amounts of fat and blood
1-7.
MARKET FORMS
a. General. Market form refers to the method used to prepare a product for
consumer use. After capture, the fish is processed for resale. The preparation forms
(methods) are described in purchasing specifications.
b. Standard Market Forms. See Figure 1-4.
(1) Form I, whole. Form I products are whole and uneviscerated. The fish is
just as it comes from the water. Form I products are not procured by the military
services (DOD).
(2) Form II, dressed or drawn. Form II products may be either dressed or
drawn. Dressed fish is eviscerated, with gills and viscera removed. Other parts may
also be removed, for example, head, scales, and fins, as specified by contract.
Examples are red snapper or redfish. Fish products are drawn when just the viscera is
removed but not the head or the tail. Examples are catfish and trout. Form II products
are not purchased for troop issue, but they are procured for retail stores.
(3) Form III, fillets. Form III products are fish fillets. All of the flesh on one
side of a fish is removed by making a single cut, starting at the nape and cutting
posteriorly to the caudal fin. They may be skin-on or skinless. When double (or
butterfly) fillets are required, the flesh is removed from both sides but left attached at the
belly or ventral border of the poke. Examples of Form III products procured for troop
issue are perch, cod, and Dover sole.
MD0711
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