The living habits and nutritional value of native fish Shatang Snakehead

Odontobutis obscurus belongs to the order Perciformes, the family Odontobutis, and the genus Odontobutis obscurus. Commonly known as: Tang Snakehead, Shawu Snakehead, Tucaiyu, Tuhanba, Tugougong. English name: Dark sleeper.

The body is stout, the head is large and broad, slightly flat, the abdomen is round, and the back is flat on the sides. The mouth is large and located upward, with the oblique cleft reaching below the center of the eye. The upper and lower jaws have fine teeth. The vomer has no teeth. The eyes are small and prominent. There are two dorsal fins, each separated. Each fin has no spines. The pectoral fin is large and rounded; the trailing edge of the caudal fin is slightly rounded. No side lines. The body is dark brown with yellow luster, the abdomen is light yellow, there are large irregular black markings on the sides of the body, and each fin has light yellow and black stripes.

The sand snakehead likes to live in the bottom layer of rivers and lakes near the shore where there are many water plants, rubble, stone gaps and sediment. Weak swimming ability. In winter, they lurk deep in the water layer or under rocks to overwinter, feeding on shrimps and small fish as their main food. The 1-year-old fish reaches sexual maturity. April to early June is the spawning season, and the spawning grounds are mostly in leeward lake bays. On a clear night or at noon, male fish will first make holes in stone caves, broken earthen pots and clam shells on the shore with a water depth of 1-2 meters, and make "coo-coo" calls to lure female fish into their nests. Spawning activities usually take place at 6-7 am in the morning when the water temperature is about 18-25°C. The eggs are neatly arranged and adhered to clam shells, tiles or stones. The female fish leaves after laying eggs, while the male fish guards the nest and protects the eggs until the larvae hatch.

Snakehead snakehead is widely distributed in the waters of various provinces in eastern my country. Although the individual is small, its meat content is high and the meat is tender and delicious. It is loved by people in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and southern provinces. Especially after being smoked and grilled, it has a unique flavor and is classified as top quality.

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