Method for stripping the muscle meat from fish and device for carrying out this method

An apparatus for carrying out a method of obtaining the muscle meat from beheaded fish by severing muscle flesh from dorsal and/or ventral spokes together with fins and fin holders as well as from ribs or lateral vertebral appendages and a vertebral column wherein the fish for severing of the muscle flesh from the spokes is initially provided with incisions running along a row of fins and on both sides of the fin holders and essentially extending into a region of tips of the spokes, and then severing of the muscle flesh from the spokes is effected following on from the incisions adjacent to the fin holders, the apparatus comprising

• a conveyor which conveys the fish along conveying path,
• severing means for severing the muscle flesh from the dorsal and/or ventral spokes and fin holders, the ribs and the vertebral column,
• bone guides associated with the severing means and running in severing planes thereof with guide edges pointing towards the conveying path,
• measuring means for detecting an individual fish size and
• computer means for generating control signals, and wherein
• the severing means for severing the muscle flesh from the dorsal and/or ventral spokes include a first tool and a second tool, each of which is provided with pairs of cutting means and wherein the cutting means of the first tool and the associated bone guides can be controlled in height with respect to the position of their cutting edges and guide edges, respectively, relative to the conveying path, and wherein the cutting means of the second tool are constructed as knife blades arranged between the bone guides with cutting edges pointing towards the conveying path and are elastically displaceable away from the conveying path.