Among the four major fish species in China, do you know why there is no carp?

In China's freshwater fish farming, the four well-known major fish include green carp, grass carp, silver carp, and bighead carp. These fish all belong to the family Cyprinidae of the order Cypriniformes and the order Cyprinidae. They have always been the main force in my country's freshwater aquaculture industry, so they are respectfully known as the "four major fishes". The aquaculture of these four fish species accounts for approximately 48% of China’s total fish aquaculture production.

Before the Tang Dynasty, carp was the most widely cultivated freshwater fish species. However, because the emperor of the Tang Dynasty was named Li, the authorities banned the breeding, fishing and sales of carp, forcing fishermen to find new breeding targets. Therefore, Qing, Grass, silver carp and bighead carp gradually emerge. Due to their unique feeding habits and habitat habits, these four types of fish can effectively utilize natural bait and water resources in the same fish pond to obtain better breeding benefits, and thus have become indispensable in my country's traditional breeding industry. Important fish.

1. Herring

As one of the four traditional freshwater cultured fish species in China, black carp belongs to the order Cypriniformes, the family Cyprinidae, and the subfamily Arloideae, and its scientific name is the genus Herring. Black carp has many common names, such as green grass, black grass, snail green, black grass, black grass, black mackerel, black mackerel, copper green, green stick, Wuhouqing, etc. Its body is long and slender, up to about 150 cm. The body is slightly cylindrical, the abdomen is round and smooth, the tail is slightly flat, and there are no abdominal ribs; the head is slightly flat, and the snout is rounded and blunt, which is slightly sharper than grass carp; the mouth is Upward, in an arc shape. The back and upper sides are dark green or black, and the belly is off-white. Herring usually inhabits the middle and lower layers of the water body, and its behavior is relatively slow and heavy. It mainly feeds on snails, mussels, clams, clams, etc., and occasionally eats shrimps and insect larvae. Black carp grows quickly and is relatively large. The largest adult fish can exceed 100 kilograms, such as the one caught in Jinniu Lake in Nanjing, Jiangsu on September 19, 2004. Black carp is a high-value fish that has been introduced to the southern United States for farming in recent years due to its ease of raising.

2. Grass carp

Grass carp is known as grass carp, oil grass carp, grass carp, grass carp, white grass carp, grass root (Northeast dialect), etc. Grass carp belongs to the family Cyprinidae, order Cypriniformes, class Actinopterygii, and is a vital part of China's freshwater aquaculture industry. A kind of fish, together with silver carp, bighead carp and herring, it is known as China's "four major fishes". Grass carp has a cylindrical body, with a slightly flat head and a slightly flat tail; the mouth is curved and has no tentacles; the upper jaw is slightly longer than the lower jaw; the body is light brown, the back is blue-gray, the abdomen is gray-white, and the pectoral and pelvic fins are slightly longer. It is grayish yellow, and the other fins are light gray. Grass carp is lively and active, swims quickly and often looks for food in groups. It is a typical herbivorous fish. Grass carp meat is tender, spineless and rich in nutrients; its scales and skin can be used to make gelatin, making it suitable for a variety of cooking methods. In particular, the crispy pork belly raised on broad beans is highly praised in Cantonese cuisine because of its fresh and tender taste, firm meat texture, and resistance to erosion after being cooked for a long time. There is a folk misunderstanding that grass carp bile has the effect of "clearing the liver and improving eyesight", but in fact, grass carp bile is toxic and can easily lead to acute liver and kidney failure after consumption, and is especially not suitable for eating raw.

3. Silver carp

Silver carp, commonly known as silver carp, water silver carp, and jumping silver carp, belongs to the genus Silver Carp, family Cyprinidae, and order Cypriniformes. It is one of the main freshwater cultured fish species in China. Together with grass carp, herring, and bighead carp, it is known as one of the "four major fisheries in China." fish". Silver carp usually has a silvery-white body color, gray-white fins, and a small head, accounting for about a quarter of the body length; the pectoral fins are spread outwards, and the tips only extend to the base of the pelvic fins; the abdomen has obvious sharp edges starting from the front of the pelvic fins. Extends to the entire abdomen. Its body is slightly flatter, slightly taller, oval in shape, blue-gray on the back, and white on the sides and belly. Silver carp is a large freshwater fish raised artificially. It grows quickly, suffers from fewer diseases, and has high yield. It is usually mixed with grass carp, carp, etc. Its meat is tender and rich in nutrients, making it a high-quality fish suitable for raising. In Taiwan Province, silver carp is one of the important freshwater cultured fish species.

4. Bighead Carp

Silver carp, often called fat-headed fish, baotou fish, big-headed fish, black silver carp, hemp carp, and some people even call it male fish, is a kind of freshwater fish, known as the "scavenger in the water" and is unique in China. Some of the specialty fish are also one of the four major fish species in China. Silver carp has a very wide distribution range in China and mainly inhabits the middle and upper water layers of rivers, humid bays, lakes and reservoirs. It is one of the main targets for pond farming and reservoir fishing. It not only has high economic value, but also has extremely high edible value. It also has a significant role in improving intelligence, enhancing memory and nutritional supplements. Silver carp has a migratory habit and usually lives in an environment with fast currents. It grows quickly and can reach a maximum weight of 40 kilograms.

animal tags： fish