The invention relates to a method for mechanically recovering flesh from fish, in which by introducing incisions, the dorsal bones and the ventrally directed bones are cut free from the laterally located fillets without separating the pin bones from the spine and the separating gaps formed by the incisions are then expanded, thereby moving the lateral fillets away from the spine of the fish in the lateral direction transverse to the dorsal bones, wherein the fillets are peeled away from the pin bones extending laterally out from the spine or the flank bones, and a corresponding apparatus for mechanically recovering the flesh of fish.

A knife assembly for performing, for example, a filleting cut on a slaughtered and gutted fish has at least one cutting head. The cutting head has at least one housing with a knife unit and a drive unit for rotationally driving a knife shaft rotatably borne inside the housing. A separating knife is arranged on a free end of the knife shaft for conjoint rotation. The knife shaft is axially movable relative to the housing and is configured to be decouplable from the drive unit for the purpose of axially moving the knife shaft in such a way that rotational movement of the knife shaft can be performed independently of the axial movement of the knife shaft. An apparatus and a method are disclosed.