If you know your fish, you’ve likely heard of the Sarotherodon galilaeus galilaeus. Well, maybe not. This particular species is from the genus tilapia and has a comb-like tail. It is one of the 27 species of fish found in the Sea of Galilee. In Arabic, the fish is named masht (comb) which refers to that unique tail.

For several centuries, this tilapia is best-known by its nickname—St  Peter’s Fish. Its Arabic name of masht (comb) refers to its comb-like tail. But where did it get its nickname? It’s believed Matthew 17:24-27.

“On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax[a] came to Peter and asked him, ‘Doesn’t your teacher pay the Temple tax?’ ‘Yes, he does,’ Peter replied. Then he went into the house.But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, ‘What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered?’ ‘They tax the people they have conquered,’ Peter replied.’Well, then,” Jesus said, ‘the citizens are free! However, we don’t want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin.Take it and pay the tax for both of us.’”

Hence the origin of St. Peter’s fish. Not all agree it was tilapia that tourists feast on during visits to Israel. A Sea of Galilee expert, and  veteran fisherman, says

“masht feed on plankton and are therefore caught by net, not hook. The fish Peter caught, he believes, was a barbel.”

You decide.

But why do many Catholics choose fish on Fridays during Lent—which begins on February 18th? Well, it’s complicated. Brian Fagan is a professor emeritus of archaeology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He’s authored Fish on Friday that explores fish eating origins in Western culture.

He claims that Vatican archives yield nothing on this. However, we can easily discover the connection of people fasting during the Lenten season. Jesus died on Good Friday. His death redeemed a sinful world. As early as the first century we have written accounts of people fasting on Friday to commemorate Jesus’ sacrifice.

Christ became our sacrifice. We ought to be willing to sacrifice as well. Church leaders encouraged parishioners to “give up” favorite indulgences, and particularly meat, on Fridays and instead focus on self-discipline and spiritual growth.

But why is eating fish on Fridays a preferred food? Michael Foley is an associate professor at Baylor University. He’s authored the book, Why Do Catholics Eat Fish on Friday? Foley claims that technically meat “is the flesh of warmblooded animals and that’s off limits — an animal ‘that, in a sense, sacrificed its life for us, if you will.’”

Since fish are coldblooded, they pass the dietary test. Thus, during Lent, no meat on Fridays! Strange but true.

I’m pretty sure Jesus was a fan of fish. He apparently knew how to cook them, too. We discover this in John 21:1-14.

After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to several disciples by the Sea of Galilee. Peter was among them as were Thomas, James, and John. Peter decided to go fishing and others joined him. Over the evening, they caught nothing. In the morning, a person on the shore (Jesus) tells them to cast their net on the other side of the boat. They do and retrieved a miraculous catch of 153 large fish!

Jesus invites them ashore to have breakfast, where he serves bread and the fish they caught cooked over a charcoal fire. It is at this time that Jesus asks Peter three times whether he loves Him. Peter aggressively affirms so and Jesus tells him “Feed my sheep.” I

t’s a wonderful call of restoration to Peter’s faith.

Now for some really tasty news about fish during the Lenten season. Are you aware that this is the only time of the year that Culver’s restaurants add walleye meals and sandwiches to their menu? Culver’s says their walleye typically come from Canadian waters and have “a richer, butterier flavor than cod, with a fresh, flaky white fish taste.” Yum!

There are around 141 Culver’s locations in Illinois. That makes us second only to Wisconsin for total restaurants of any state in the U.S.—roughly one Culver’s for every 90,000 residents.

So you see, there really is something “fishy” about Lent!

(P.S.I received no walleye sandwiches in exchange for this article!)