Fish
Soupfin Shark
B tier
Soupfin shark is the North American name for Galeorhinus galeus, historically hunted for vitamin-rich liver and fins as well as meat. Culinary flesh matches other tope: firm, mild when fresh, suited to stews and frying. The name recalls soup and oil industries more than modern fine dining. Stocks off California and elsewhere suffered severe depletion. Today any soupfin on a menu needs an extraordinary sustainability story—default advice is to skip it.
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Characteristics
Preparations
FriedHistorical OilStewed
Traits
Avoid If UnsustainableDepleted HistoryFirmFirm MeatHistoricalLiver HistoryNorth American Name
History
US
California soupfin shark fisheries boomed for liver vitamin A.
US
Collapse followed intense soupfin exploitation on the US West Coast.
US
Protection and low quotas reflected soupfin shark’s slow recovery.