Boning is an operation that consists in the removal of a fish's central bone. In the case of raw fishes, boning generally coincides with filleting; these processes should be done with a sharp and flexible knife. Then the fish is cut along the bone and the pulp is detached from it (in one fillet or two). When even the smallest spines are removed, the fish is ready to be served. To bone a preserved fish, for example an anchovy in salt or a sardine in oil, it is best to use our hands since a knife would probably ruin the fish's pulp.