Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for the orientation of fish with respect to the position of abdomen and dorsum. The fishes (6, 7) are thrown head first against an oblique, preferably curved guide element (5) in such a way that the center of gravity of the head (8) of the fish lies sidewards from the perpendicular to the guide element (5) through the contact point of the fish, due to which the fish turns into contact with the guide element (5) and into the same orientation with respect to the direction of abdomen and dorsum, irrespective of, whether the fish hits the guide element with dorsum or with abdomen.

Abstract: An apparatus for feeding fish into a fish processing machine, whereby the amount of fish fed into said apparatus at least equals to the maximum capacity of the processing machine. The fish are delivered head first and with the abdomen in a certain direction from orientation means (1-14) to an accelerator (17, 18) and therefrom at a speed of about 3 to 8 m/s into a synchronizer comprising e.g. a roll (19) and an outer guide (20). A fish (21) is caught in a gap between the roll (19) and the guide (20), provided said gap is empty. Whenever a pocket (16) of a feeding belt (15) of the processing machine goes past the roll (19), a waiting fish (24) is thrown therein at a high rate, whereas a fish (21) caught in said gap is immediately advanced to the position thus left empty by the previous waiting fish (24). As long as a fish (21) remains in the said gap it deflects subsequent fishes ( 22) into a pass-by chute (23). In this way the fish themselves ensure an even flow of individual fishes to the conveyor belt (15).