Topmouth Culter vs. White Striped Fish: A Detailed Guide to the Differences, Teaching You to Quickly Tell the Two Fish Apart
The topmouth culter and the white striped fish are both fish of the subfamily Culterinae, family Cyprinidae, order Cypriniformes. They look very similar in appearance, and many people cannot tell them apart. In fact, they do have differences. So, what are the differences between the topmouth culter and the white striped fish?
Difference one, different species: the topmouth culter is a fish of the genus Erythroculter in the family Cyprinidae, while the white striped fish is a fish of the genus Hemiculter in the family Cyprinidae.
Difference two, different size: the topmouth culter is larger in body size and can grow to more than 1 m long, with a common weight of 2-2.5 kg and a maximum weight of 10-15 kg. The white striped fish is smaller in body size, with a body length of about 15-20 cm, and at most only 30 cm.
Difference three, different appearance: the topmouth culter has a light brown back, silver-gray sides, a silvery-white belly, grayish-black dorsal and caudal fins, grayish-white pectoral, pelvic and anal fins, and a deeply forked caudal fin. The white striped fish has a bluish-gray back, silvery-white sides and belly, strong reflections all over the body, and no other markings at all; its caudal fin is grayish-black, the other fins are pale yellow, and the caudal fin is deeply forked, with the lower lobe slightly longer than the upper lobe.
Difference four, different mouth: the mouth of the topmouth culter turns upward, and the extent of the upward turn can be perpendicular to the body. The mouth of the white striped fish appears flatter and looks similar to that of a normal fish.
Difference five, different feeding habits: the topmouth culter is a fierce carnivorous fish. In the fry stage, it mainly feeds on plankton and aquatic insects; above 50 g, it mainly swallows small fish and shrimp. It has a very strong continuous feeding habit, and all year round, whether in spring rain, hot summer, dull autumn or cold winter, as long as feeding conditions exist, it keeps swallowing food without stopping. The white striped fish is an omnivorous fish that mainly feeds on algae, and also eats fragments of higher plants, crustaceans and aquatic insects, and is especially fond of eating small shrimp in rivers.
The topmouth culter and the white striped fish are both fish of the subfamily Culterinae, family Cyprinidae, order Cypriniformes, but they differ in species, appearance, size, mouth and feeding habits. Everyone should learn to tell them apart so as to avoid misidentifying them.
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