Guide
What each bag of freeze-dried fish looks like
Updated
What does freeze dried fish look like when you open one of our bags? It looks like a fish. The sardines arrive whole, head and tail on. The sardine heads are exactly that, eyes included. The anchovies and the minnows are whole fish as well, and their listings say the pieces vary from one to the next.
What do freeze-dried sardines look like out of the bag?
The sardine listing says the fish are sold whole with head, tail and bones on, and it calls them "small to medium fish." Nothing has been cut away. You will not find a fillet or a split fish in the bag, just the sardine as it went into the freeze dryer. That is the whole answer to what do freeze dried sardines look like.
The bones are in there because the fish is whole. We make no claim of our own about those bones one way or the other. Supervise while your pet eats, break the fish to a size that fits the animal in front of you, and ask your veterinarian if you are unsure about your own dog or cat and fish bones.
The sardines are freeze-dried raw. The sardine heads listing says to wash your hands after handling raw fish, and we do the same with the whole sardines.
What does a freeze-dried sardine head look like?
A head, and only a head. The listing for the freeze-dried sardine heads says they come "with the bones and the eyes still in them," and that is what the bag shows you. If you were hoping the eyes had been taken out, they have not. They look back at you. Some people find that funny and some find it a little much, and both are fair reactions to freeze dried sardine heads with eyes.
Per the listing, the heads in one bag run larger and smaller, and no two are alike. It does not say why, so neither do we. Expect a jumble rather than a row of identical pieces.
What do freeze-dried anchovies look like?
The anchovy listing names the fish as Stolephorus chinensis and says the bag holds anchovies only, with no grains, fillers or dyes. It also says the fish vary in size, shape and color. So one anchovy may be longer than the next, or a different shape, or a different shade, and that is the bag working as described.
The listing also describes a strong natural fish smell and does not apologize for it. We will not explain the smell here, because the listing does not, and guessing is not our job.
What do the freeze-dried minnows look like?
The minnow listing says the only ingredient is whole marble goby, a fish with the species name Oxyeleotris marmorata. The fish are whole. They are not filleted, ground or pressed. The listing says size and color vary fish to fish, with a mix of bigger and smaller, lighter and darker fish in each bag. If you are wondering what do freeze dried minnows look like, that is the honest description we can stand behind.
The minnows are sold out as this is written. The button on the page reads "Sold out, back soon," and the page takes no orders ahead of stock. No date comes with that label, and we will not supply one.
How much do size and color vary in one bag?
Each listing describes its own range, and none of them promises a uniform bag. The sardine listing calls the fish small to medium. The heads listing says larger and smaller heads share a bag. The anchovy listing lists size, shape and color as the three things that vary. The minnow listing covers bigger and smaller, lighter and darker. Read together, every bag in the fish range holds whole pieces, not pieces cut to one size.
If a particular fish in your bag looks off to you, do not guess and do not ask us to guess. Send us a note through the product page with a photo, or ask your veterinarian. Everything in these bags is made in Malvern, Pennsylvania from imported fish, and the fish are freeze-dried raw, so wash up after handling them. Our other guides cover the rest, from portions to storage.
Questions
Are any of the fish filleted or split open?
No. The sardine listing says the fish are sold whole with head, tail and bones on. The minnow listing says its fish are not filleted, ground or pressed. The anchovy listing says the bag holds anchovies only. The sardine heads are whole heads. Nothing in the range is a fillet, a strip or a pressed piece.
Do the sardines still have their tails?
Yes. The sardine listing says each fish is sold whole with head, tail and bones on. What you take out of the bag is the full fish from nose to tail.
Is a lighter or darker fish a problem?
The minnow listing says color varies fish to fish and gives no reason for it, and the anchovy listing says color is one of the things that varies. Neither says a lighter or darker fish means anything. If one specific fish worries you, send us a photo through the product page or show it to your veterinarian rather than guessing.
Does the Fish Trio hold the same fish as the single bags?
The Fish Trio page lists its contents as one bag of freeze-dried whole sardines, one bag of freeze-dried anchovies and one bag of freeze-dried sardine heads, with a single ingredient in every bag. Those are the same products sold on their own pages, so what you see when you open each bag matches the descriptions above.
Are the minnows the same fish as the sardines?
No. The minnow listing names its fish as marble goby, Oxyeleotris marmorata. The sardine listing names sardines. They are different fish sold in different bags, and the minnow bag is sold out at the moment, with no date given. The sardines, sardine heads and anchovies have their own pages.