CATDOLL : CATDOLL: What are the four major fish species in China?

They are black carp, grass carp, silver carp and bighead carp.

1. Black carp

Black carp is a green fish that is mainly distributed in the plains south of the Yangtze River in my country and is relatively rare in the north of the Yangtze River. It is an important fishery resource in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the lakes along the river, and the main breeding object in lakes and ponds. It is one of the "four major carps" in my country's freshwater farming.

In addition, it is commonly known as "Wuhun", "Heihun" or "Luoshihun" in Anhui because of its black body and its preference for eating snails; the "black carp" commonly seen in the Northeast is not black carp, but should be written as "mackerel", which is a deep-sea fish.

In China, the largest black carp specimen weighed 218 kilograms. It was caught in Jinniu Lake in Gaoji District, Liuhe District, Nanjing in 2005. It was 1.86 meters long and weighed 218 kilograms. According to scale identification, it was about 40 years old.

Black carp is also called black carp or snail carp. It belongs to the class of bony fishes, family of Cyprinidae. It has a subcylindrical body and can be up to 1 meter long. It is bluish black in color, and its fins are grayish black. It has a broad and flat head, a terminal mouth, and no whiskers. Its pharyngeal teeth are molar-shaped.

It lives in the middle and lower layers, and mainly feeds on snails, clams, shrimps and aquatic insects. It matures sexually at 4-5 years old, lays eggs in the upper reaches of rivers, and can be artificially bred. It is large and grows rapidly, with the largest individual weighing 70kg. The meat is delicious. It is the main freshwater fish to be farmed in China. It is distributed in major water systems in China, and is mainly produced in the plains south of the Yangtze River. The fish gall is poisonous.

2. Grass carp

Grass carp belongs to the genus Grass carp of the Cyprinidae family, subfamily Leucophaginae. Common names of grass carp include: grass carp, grass carp, oily grass carp, grass carp, white grass carp, grass carp, grass root (Northeast China), thick fish (South Shandong), sea grass carp (South China), mixed fish, black herring, etc. English name: Grass carp.

It lives in rivers and lakes in plain areas, usually in the middle and lower layers of water and near the shore where there are a lot of aquatic plants. It is lively, swims quickly, and often forages in groups. It is a typical herbivorous fish.

Grass carp feed on larvae, algae, etc. during the juvenile stage. Grass carp also eat some meat, such as earthworms, dragonflies, etc. They hibernate in the deep water of mainstream streams or lakes. Parent fish have the habit of upstream migration during the reproductive season.

It has been transplanted to many countries in Asia, Europe, America and Africa. Because of its rapid growth and wide source of feed, it is one of the four major freshwater fishes in China.

Grass carp, Cyprinidae. Elongated, subcylindrical body, more than 1m long. Greenish yellow body. Broad and flat head, terminal mouth, no whiskers. Pharyngeal teeth are comb-shaped. Inhabits the middle and lower layers of water, feeds on aquatic plants.

It matures at 3-4 years old, spawns in the upper reaches of rivers, and can be artificially propagated. It grows fast, and the largest individual weighs about 30kg. It is the main freshwater fish breeding object in China. It is distributed in major water systems in China, has delicious meat, and its gallbladder is poisonous.

3. Silver Carp

Silver carp (pronounced: lián yú ) (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), also known as silver carp, water carp, jumping silver carp, silver carp, belongs to the order Cypriniformes, family Cyprinidae, and is one of the four famous carps. The four famous carps are: black carp, grass carp, bighead carp, and black carp. It is a typical filter-feeding fish.

The body is flattened laterally, slightly tall, and spindle-shaped. The back is blue-gray, and the sides and abdomen are white. The pectoral fins do not exceed the base of the pelvic fins. The fins are grayish white. The head is relatively large. The eyes are located very low. The scales are small. The horny ridge in the middle of the abdomen extends from the bottom of the pectoral fins to the anus. The shape is similar to that of the bighead carp, but the silver carp is impatient and good at jumping.

Silver carp is sweet, mild, non-toxic, tender and nutritious. It is one of the best fish species suitable for breeding. It is one of the main freshwater farmed fish in my country. It is distributed in major water systems across the country. Silver carp is a large freshwater fish bred artificially. It grows fast, has few diseases and high yields. It is often mixed with grass carp and carp.

4. Bighead carp

Bighead carp (scientific name: Aristichthys nobilis) is also called silver carp, bighead carp, bighead carp, bighead carp, black carp, bighead carp, and male fish. It is a kind of freshwater fish. It has the elegant name of "water scavenger" and is one of the four major carps in China.

It looks like a silver carp, but its body is flattened laterally. It has a large and wide head, a wide mouth that is slightly upturned, and low-set eyes. Bighead carp grows in freshwater lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and ponds. It is mostly found in the middle and upper layers of the water.

It is a fish species endemic to China. It is widely distributed in China. It is one of the main objects of pond aquaculture and reservoir fishery, and has high economic value. It can be eaten and has the effects of improving IQ, enhancing memory, supplementing nutrition, and delaying aging.

Additional information:

We sometimes cannot distinguish the four major carps and are easily confused. In fact, silver carp and bighead carp are very easy to distinguish. The main difference between silver carp and bighead carp is body color and head.

Silver carp, also known as white carp and bighead carp, is silvery white in color, with a small head. The ratio of head length to body length is about 1:4; while the bighead carp's head is obviously much larger, with a ratio of head length to body length of 1:3, so it is also called fathead fish.

The body color of bighead carp is darker than that of silver carp, and is mixed with irregular yellow and black spots, so it is also called "flowery silver carp" and "yellow silver carp head".

Although black carp and grass carp are similar, they are easy to distinguish. In terms of color, black carp is bluish-black and darker in color, while grass carp is grass-yellow like young grass and relatively lighter in color.

From the scales, the scales of black carp are not obvious, while those of grass carp are very obvious net-like. From the head: the head of grass carp is fan-shaped, wider and shorter, and rounder, with an angle of about 45 degrees, while the head of black carp is narrower and longer, like a sharp cone, with an angle of about 30 degrees.

In the ancient Tang Dynasty, carp was the most widely cultivated freshwater fish. However, because the royal family of the Tang Dynasty was named Li, the cultivation, fishing and sale of carp were all prohibited. Therefore, fishermen could only engage in the cultivation of other species, thus giving rise to the four major carps: black carp, grass carp, silver carp and bighead carp.

However, because crucian carp is relatively small in size, grows slowly, and is found everywhere in wild waters, the economic benefits of breeding it are poor. In the past when natural resources were abundant, few people specialized in breeding it. Therefore, neither crucian carp nor carp were selected.

Reference source: Baidu Encyclopedia - Four major fish

The four major carps in freshwater farming refer to the four edible fish species that are most familiar to Chinese people. They are black carp, grass carp, silver carp and bighead carp. After more than a thousand years of artificial selection, they have become excellent aquatic species. In the freshwater farming species structure of China, the four major carps have always occupied a major position. The output of the four major carps accounts for about 80% of the total output of freshwater fish. At the peak of the Yangtze River production area, the output of fry reached more than 30 billion tails. The four major carps are widely distributed in major water systems in China, and are preserved in large quantities both in farming and in nature. The flow and fry output of the four major carps have always been important indicators in official fishery resource statistics.

produce

Before the Tang Dynasty, carp was the most widely cultivated freshwater fish. However, because the Tang Dynasty royal family was named Li, the cultivation, fishing and sale of carp were prohibited. Fishermen had to engage in the production of other species, which gave rise to the four major carps: silver carp, grass carp, bighead carp and black carp.

In the Northern Song Dynasty, the four major carps continued to be cultivated in a wider area, and the cultivation in the Yangtze River and the Pearl River gradually flourished. According to the records of Zhou Mi (1232-1298) in the "Gui Xin Magazine", the capture, transportation, selection and sale of the four major carps fry had reached a professional level. In addition, the polyculture technology of the four major carps was produced in the Song Dynasty and quickly became popular. The polyculture technology not only fully utilized the cultivation resources, but also enriched the product structure of the fish farmers and reduced the production risks.

Main Features

The four major carps all belong to the Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae. Due to the common characteristics of these four types of fish, which are rapid growth and strong disease resistance, they are suitable for public consumption. Moreover, the growth turning point age of the four major carps is 2-3 years older than their sexual maturity age, and they will continue to grow after sexual maturity.

Black carp, grass carp, silver carp and bighead carp.

Before the Tang Dynasty, carp was the most widely farmed freshwater fish. However, because the Tang royal family was named Li, the breeding, fishing and sale of carp were all prohibited. Fishermen had to engage in the production of other species, which gave rise to the four most popular fish: silver carp, grass carp, bighead carp and black carp.

Carp, crucian carp, grass carp, silver carp