Roe or
hard roe is the fully ripe internal egg masses in the ovaries, or the released external egg masses of
fish and certain marine
animals, such as
shrimp,
scallop and
sea urchins. As a
seafood, roe is used both as a
cooked ingredient in many dishes and as a raw ingredient. The roe of marine animals, such as the roe of
lumpsucker,
hake and
salmon, is an excellent source of
omega-3 fatty acids. Roe from a
sturgeon or sometimes other fishes is the raw base product from which
caviar is made.