Re: eating whole fish....

Most canned fish, be it salmon, mackrel, herring or sardines, have the bones inside. The bones add significantly to the nutritional value by adding calcium and other minerals to an extent that it rivals a similar serving of dairy. I'm not one for canned foods, but in parts of Asia small dried, salted fish are often pounded to break the bones, and Alaska natives will slow-cook whole fish in a pot until the bones become soft. I have also seen some folks swallow whole, minnow-sized live fish with no ill effect.
This in mind, I would not suggest eating the raw (or briefly cooked) bones of anything larger than a minnow. Internal puncture could result. So say my Native neighbors, and their maritime eskimoan culture is old enough to know best! Tweet