What is the difference between yellow croaker and yellow croaker fish?

Yellow croaker and yellow croaker fish differ by only one character, so are they the same? Are they the same kind of fish? How do you tell the difference between the two?

Yellow croakers are similar in form and habits. This type of fish has a laterally compressed, elongated body and is golden yellow. The large yellow croaker has a slender tail stalk, smaller scales, a body length of 40-50 cm, and 25-27 vertebrae; the small yellow croaker has a shorter tail stalk, larger scales, a body length of about 20 cm, and 28-30 vertebrae.

The yellow croaker fish (large yellow croaker) has an elongated, laterally compressed body about 40-50 cm long. Golden yellow. Tail stalk slender. Scales relatively small, with 8-9 rows of scales between the origin of the dorsal fin and the lateral line. Vertebrae 25-27. It usually inhabits deeper sea areas, migrates toward coastal waters to spawn from April to June, and after spawning disperses along the coast to feed, eating fish, shrimp, and similar prey. In autumn and winter it migrates back to deeper sea areas.

How much is wild yellow croaker fish per jin?

The average market price of farmed large yellow croaker is about 56 yuan/kg, while the price of wild ones fluctuates widely and is divided into many size grades by weight. During the May Day period, the prices were roughly: for each fish weighing 2-3 liang, about 150 yuan per jin; 3-4 liang at about 280 yuan per jin; 4-5 liang at about 380 yuan per jin; 5-7 liang at about 550 yuan per jin; 7-9 liang at about 800 yuan per jin, and so on, with the larger ones being more expensive! A wild large yellow croaker weighing four to five jin can sell for four to five thousand yuan per jin!