Habits and geographical distribution of anchovy (anchovy)

Coilia ectenes (Coilia ectenes) belongs to the order Coilia, family Coiliaceae, and genus Coilia. Commonly known as: swordfish, swordfish, hairy fish, wild hairy fish, anchovies. English name: Estuarine tapertail anchovy.

The body is long, very flat on the sides, relatively straight on the back, and has ribbed scales on the chest and abdomen. The side of the head is flat, the mouth is large and oblique, and it is in a semi-inferior position. The maxilla is free and extends backward to the base of the pectoral fin; there are fine teeth on the upper and lower mandibles, oral cavity and vomer. The eyes are small and the gill openings are large; the whole body is covered with thin and transparent round scales without lateral lines. The first six rays of the pectoral fin are extended and free into filaments, with the ends reaching the starting point of the anal fin. The pelvic fin is small, the anal fin is very long, and there are more than 90 fin rays. The back of the base is connected to the base of the caudal fin. The base is more than half the body length, and the caudal fin is extremely short. The back and head are slightly grayish-black, and the sides and abdomen are silvery white.

The catfish is a migratory fish and usually lives in the sea. Mature individuals enter the river from the sea in groups from February to March every year and migrate up the river for reproductive migration. Most of the fish groups are 3-4 years old. In the process of tracing up the river, some of them enter the lakes or tributaries of the river. The farthest reaches of the Yangtze River can reach Dongting Lake, but they are rare in the main stream above Chenglingji in Yueyang City. At that time, the young fish flowed down the river and gathered in the salty water of the seaport to live. In the second year, they began to enter the sea to grow and fatten. The spawning time of catfish in the Yangtze River is about April to June, with the peak season in early and mid-May. Mature fish enter riverside lakes, tributaries, or areas with shallow water bends in the main stream and slower flow speeds to spawn. The fertilized eggs float in the upper layer of water where they develop and hatch. Anchovy feeds on animal food, with adults feeding on small fish and shrimps, and juvenile fish feeding on amphipods, cladocerans, and copepods. Adult fish rarely feed during the spawning and migration period. The growth rate of bream carp is the fastest in the third year, and the individuals are larger than other species of genus bream. Each fish of 3-4 years old weighs 90-140 grams and is 23.2-34.2 cm long.

Catfish is widely distributed and is produced in the Qiantang River, Yangtze River, Yellow River, Liaohe River and other rivers connected to the East China Sea, Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea in various provinces, but the Yangtze River has the highest yield. In 1976, Yangtze River bream production reached 3.5 million kilograms.

Carp is a major economic fish in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The meat is tender and delicious, rich in fat, and has always been popular with the masses. Especially when it is canned after being fried, it has a better flavor and is sold well at home and abroad.

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