The living habits and nutritional value of mountain carp Huaji

Sarcocheilichthys sinensis belongs to the order Cypriniformes, family Cyprinidae, subfamily Sarcocheilichthys, and genus Sarcocheilichthys. Commonly known as: Huashi crucian carp, yellow brown fish, mountain carp. English name: Chinese fat minnow.

The body is long, the sides are flat, the back of the head is significantly raised, and the tail peduncle is short and high. The head is short and small, the snout is round and blunt, the mouth is small, lower, and horseshoe-shaped. The lower lip is limited to the corners of the mouth on both sides, and the mandible has well-developed horniness; one pair of barbels, very fine. The dorsal fin spines are only hard at the base and soft and segmented at the end. The starting point of the dorsal fin is closer to the snout than to the base of the caudal fin. The anal fin is very short, the caudal fin has a shallow fork, and the lateral line is straight. The back of the body is gray-black and the abdomen is gray-white; there are 4 broad black patches on the sides of the body, the width of which is approximately equal to or slightly larger than the distance between the two patches. This patch is particularly noticeable in juvenile fish. Each fin is gray-black with white edges; during the reproductive period, the body color and each fin are dark black, the snout of the male fish has white beads, and the ovipositor of the female fish is extended.

Huaji is a common fish in rivers and lakes. It usually lives in the middle and lower water bodies with slow water flow. It uses its mandibles to scrape benthic invertebrates, algae and plant debris attached to the gravel. Breeds from May to June, eggs are sticky. The largest individual can grow up to 20 cm.

Huaji is widely distributed. Except for some areas of the northwest plateau, it is almost distributed in all major water systems across the country. It is also found in rivers and lakes in plain areas. The quantity is large and has certain economic value. But the meat taste is slightly worse. Japan also produces a fish of the same genus, which is a very common edible fish and is commonly known as "animal". It is produced in large quantities and can be eaten fresh or canned. Some are also specially cultivated. The muscles can be used fresh or dried. It has the effects of calming the stomach, neutralizing phlegm, diuresis, and detoxifying, and is mainly used to treat swelling, bloating, jaundice, sores and other diseases.

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