Abstract: In a method for automatically gutting fish of the catfish species, the belly cavity is opened around the anal orifice either before or after opening the gills by severing the gullet and opening the blood stream, and the contents of the belly cavity are removed by pushing these from one of the openings of the cavity out of the other. In a machine for carrying out this method, the fish are conveyed sideways by a recessed conveyor. The belly cavity is opened in the vicinity of the anus by separating away the cartilaginous plate carrying the ventral fins. The contents of the ventral cavity are removed by a rotary body rotating synchronously with the conveyor and having tools successively arranged in a cantilevered helix around its circumference which comprise a clearing tool with scraping segments, a brush tool, a high-pressure spray device and a cutting tool for slitting open the belly cavity along its length.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for processing fish of the Trachurus species and an apparatus for performing the method.In order to obtain top quality products of this fish type and with a high yield, there is provided a tool for removing the bony structure at the end of the abdominal cavity which is prejudical to precise processing. The tool comprises two circular knives acting as abdomen openers and in whose gap there is arranged a guide member with a sharp leading edge and covering the upper rear area of the cutting edges, which guide member removes the fin ray support (pterygophore) of the anal fin overlappingly connected to the first belly spoke (haemapopyses of the eleventh vertebra) together with the anal fin and the abdomen edge, so that no bearing or rearing up of the tail area impeding the separation of the lateral keeled scales, in particular, occurs.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for processing fish of the Trachurus species and an apparatus for performing the method.In order to obtain top quality products of this fish type and which a high yield, there is provided a tool for removing the bony structure at the end of the abdominal cavity which is prejudicial to precise processing. The tool comprises two circular knives acting as abdomen openers and in whose gap where is arranged a guide member with a sharp leading edge and covering the upper rear area of the cutting edges, which guide member removes the fin ray support (pterygophore) of the anal fin overlappingly connected to the first belly spoke (haemapophyses of the eleventh vertebra) together with the anal fin and the abdomen edge, so that no bearing or rearing up of the tail area impeding the separation of the lateral keeled scales, in particular, occurs.