Device and method for removing a surface layer including the skin from fish fillets

An apparatus for removing a surface layer including the skin from fish fillets, comprising a feeding device for feeding the fish fillets lying skin side down tail end first in transport direction T in the region of a separating arrangement, a dispatching device for dispatching the fish fillets freed from the surface layer, and the separating arrangement, wherein the separating arrangement comprises a rotationally driven driver roller arranged downstream of the feeding device (12) and upstream of the dispatching device in the transport direction T of the fish fillets, said driver roller having a drive direction A synchronous with the transport direction T, a main blade arranged in the region of the driver roller for removing the surface layer and a pressing element active in the region of the main blade for pressing the fish fillets onto the textured conveying surface F of the driver roller, wherein the main blade is arranged at a distance from the driver roller to form a cutting gap S and is designed to be deflectable relative to the driver roller, characterized in that the apparatus has a measuring arrangement, said measuring arrangement comprising at least one detection element, which is arranged in the region of the feeding device and is designed and configured to determine size-relevant data of the fish fillets, and an evaluation and control unit, the evaluation and control unit being connected by signal lines to each detection element and to the main blade for automatically controlling the size of the cutting gap S between the main blade and the driver roller depending on the previously determined fish fillet size.