What are the other names for bighead carp, and roughly how much did it cost per jin in 2020?

The bighead carp is a fairly common freshwater fish with a very wide distribution. Its body is flat, and its head is very large, taking up almost one third of its body length. The bighead carp's mouth turns slightly upward, and its eyes sit rather low, making it look fierce. Let's take a look below at what other names the bighead carp has and roughly how much it cost per jin in 2020.

1. What other names does the bighead carp have?

The bighead carp is also called bighead fish, fathead fish, and black carp. It is a fish species belonging to the Cyprinidae family and mainly lives in the surface layers of freshwater lakes or rivers.

The bighead carp grows very fast, much faster than the silver carp. It is not unusual to see a 20-jin bighead carp in lakes. The bighead carp has a rather impatient temperament and usually likes to jump. Its food differs at different stages. During the fry stage, the bighead carp mainly eats rotifers, cladocerans, copepods, and other zooplankton. Once it reaches a length of 1.5 cm, it can gradually eat phytoplankton, and it can also eat soybean residue powder, rice bran, soybean milk, and so on, combined with artificial micro-pellet feed, making it very easy to fatten.

The age at which the bighead carp reaches sexual maturity is the same as or slightly earlier than that of the grass carp. Newly matured individuals have a large body weight; in some areas they need to be over 10 kg, but in the Guangdong and Guangxi regions, parent fish usually under 10 kg can also spawn. The induced spawning season for bighead carp is generally from early May to mid-June, and other reproductive ecological conditions are roughly the same as those of the silver carp.

2. Roughly how much did the bighead carp cost per jin in 2020?

The bighead carp is affected by many factors, such as place of origin, variety, and market conditions. At present, apart from a slight rise, the price of bighead carp is generally stable, at roughly 6-8 yuan per jin, with certain differences among regions. For example, the average price of bighead carp at the Mawangdui vegetable wholesale market in Changsha, Hunan, is 6.5 yuan per jin.

3. Key points for bighead carp farming

1. Building the fish pond

To raise bighead carp well, the first thing is to build a fish pond suitable for their growth. The pond area should be appropriately large, generally 4 to 8 mu is fairly suitable. The pond water depth should preferably be over two meters, and before stocking the fry, organic fertilizer should be applied for cultivation, with suitable fertilizer concentration and amount.

2. Stocking the fry

Summer is the period for stocking bighead carp fry, and it can be divided into two modes, namely single-species farming or mixed farming. Mixed farming is a fairly common mode: when the bighead carp fry are put in, fry of other species are also added. Carp and silver carp fry are good choices for mixed farming, so that higher economic returns can be created.

3. Key points for daily management

The bighead carp has very high requirements for water quality, and generally grows better in fertile water. The bighead carp likes to eat the plankton in the pond, combined with artificial feed, and should be fed at fixed points and fixed times. Usually, observe its feeding and growth more often, and take timely measures if any special situation is found.