Squalus acanthias
1 association assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.
Cartilaginous predatory fish sold as boneless steaks or, in British and Australian fish shops, under trade names such as huss, flake and rock salmon. The flesh is firm and, unless bled and iced promptly, develops an ammonia smell because sharks retain urea in their tissues for osmoregulation.
Also known as Flake, Rock salmon, Huss, Dogfish, Mako
What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.
Evidence is limited for shark as a protein source in human research, and the mercury advisory makes it an unsuitable food to eat often enough for protein intake to be the deciding consideration.
Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.
Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.
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| Nutrient | Amount | % DV |
|---|---|---|
| Macronutrients | ||
| Calories | 130 kcal | 7% |
| Protein | 21 g | 42% |
| Total fat | 4.51 g | 6% |
| Carbohydrate | 0 g | 0% |
| Fibre | 0 g | 0% |
| Total sugars | 0 g | — |
| Water | 73.6 g | — |
| Fats | ||
| Saturated fat | 0.925 g | 5% |
| Monounsaturated fat | 1.81 g | — |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 1.2 g | — |
| Cholesterol | 51 mg | 17% |
| EPA (omega-3) | 0.316 g | — |
| DHA (omega-3) | 0.527 g | — |
| DPA (omega-3) | 0.109 g | — |
| Linoleic acid (omega-6) | 0.076 g | — |
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin A | 70 µg | 8% |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg | 0% |
| Vitamin D | 0.6 µg | 3% |
| Vitamin E | 1 mg | 7% |
| Vitamin K | 0.1 µg | 0% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.042 mg | 4% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.062 mg | 5% |
| Niacin (B3) | 2.94 mg | 18% |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.695 mg | 14% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.4 mg | 24% |
| Folate | 3 µg | 1% |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.49 µg | 62% |
| Choline | 65 mg | 12% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 34 mg | 3% |
| Iron | 0.84 mg | 5% |
| Magnesium | 49 mg | 12% |
| Phosphorus | 210 mg | 17% |
| Potassium | 160 mg | 3% |
| Sodium | 79 mg | 3% |
| Zinc | 0.43 mg | 4% |
| Copper | 0.033 mg | 4% |
| Manganese | 0.015 mg | 1% |
| Selenium | 36.5 µg | 66% |
| Other measured compounds | ||
| Beta-carotene | 0 µg | — |
| Alpha-carotene | 0 µg | — |
| Lycopene | 0 µg | — |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 0 µg | — |
| Caffeine | 0 mg | — |
| Ash | 1.39 g | — |
Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
Source record: Fish, shark, mixed species, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 173697).
% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.
Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.
Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.
Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.
Avoid
Shark sits on the Choices to Avoid list in the joint FDA and EPA advice, which states that pregnant and breastfeeding women, women who may become pregnant, and children should not eat it. Sharks are long-lived apex predators and carry among the highest methylmercury burdens measured in any commercial fish.
Worth knowing
Flake, huss, rock salmon and dogfish are all shark. People following the mercury advice can eat shark without realising it, because the counter label rarely uses the word.
Worth knowing
Shark flesh contains urea that breaks down to ammonia after death, which is why it must be bled and chilled immediately. Many commercially caught shark species are also assessed as threatened, and finning remains a live regulatory issue.
Allergy
Cartilaginous fish carry different parvalbumin isoforms from bony fish, so cross-reactivity is less predictable in either direction. That is not a reason for anyone with fish allergy to assume shark is safe.