What Kind of Fish Is the Grass Carp, an Edible Fish? And the Four Major Differences from the Common Carp!
The grass carp, also known as the huan fish and the black carp, is a common edible fish in China. Because it has plenty of meat and a good taste, it is deeply loved by people. Eating it regularly can help prevent cancer, osteoporosis and other conditions, so its nutritional value is extremely high. So what kind of fish is the grass carp? What is the difference between it and the common carp?
1. What kind of fish is the grass carp?
1. The grass carp is an edible fish of the genus Ctenopharyngodon in the family Cyprinidae of the order Cypriniformes. Its body is about 1 m long and overall is greenish-yellow. Its head is broad and flat, its mouth is arc-shaped, and it has no barbels. Its tail is laterally compressed, and it has a pair of fins on its back and belly respectively. Its body has many scales in a golden yellow color.
2. The grass carp is also called the huan fish, white huan, sea huan, grass huan, oil huan, black carp, grass root, houzi fish, etc. It is relatively common in rivers and lakes in plains areas. It generally lives among aquatic plants or in the middle and lower layers of the water, and in winter it lives in the deep water of main streams or lakes.
3. The grass carp is a herbivorous fish. It is lively and active, and likes to forage in groups. Generally, in the fry stage it eats algae, various larvae, etc., and as an adult it eats earthworms, aquatic plants, dragonflies, etc. It also eats artificial feed made from a mixture of corn, wheat, rice bran and the like.
4. The grass carp is an edible fish that does not have many bones. It is mainly made up of one main bone and a small number of small bones. After deep-frying, the small bones can generally all be eaten, and they are crisp and tasty. Small grass carp in particular taste even better.
5. The grass carp is a fish with very high nutritional value. It contains rich unsaturated fatty acids, which have a certain improving effect on the cardiovascular system. At the same time, the selenium it contains can effectively nourish the skin, resist aging and so on. It is very suitable for people with poor appetite and a thin, weak body.
2. What is the difference between the grass carp and the common carp?
Difference 1, different family and genus: the grass carp is a freshwater fish of the genus Ctenopharyngodon in the subfamily Leuciscinae of the family Cyprinidae of the order Cypriniformes; the common carp is a freshwater fish of the genus Cyprinus in the subfamily Cyprininae of the family Cyprinidae of the order Cypriniformes.
Difference 2, different appearance: the grass carp has a light yellow, cylindrical body, a flat head, an arc-shaped mouth with no barbels, and a laterally compressed tail. It has a dorsal fin, anal fin and pelvic fin, among which the dorsal fin and anal fin have no hard spines and are slightly grayish-yellow, and the dorsal fin and pelvic fin are opposite each other; the common carp has a laterally compressed, golden yellow body, a horseshoe-shaped mouth, two pairs of barbels, and a dorsal fin and anal fin, both of which have a serrated hard spine. Its body has thirty-six scales, and each scale has a small black dot.
Difference 3, different food: the grass carp is a herbivorous fish and generally eats earthworms, algae, aquatic insects, grasses and the like; the common carp is an omnivorous freshwater fish and generally eats both meat and plants. During its winter hibernation it eats no food at all, lying dormant at the bottom of the river to pass the winter.
Difference 4, different growth range: the grass carp mostly grows in lakes, rivers and environments with abundant aquatic plants. When mature and spawning, it mostly spawns in reservoir and river water, and in daily life it is relatively common in shallow grassy areas, small rivers and places overgrown with aquatic plants; the common carp has a relatively wide growth range, and its specific activity area changes with the clarity or turbidity of the water, wind force, water temperature and water flow, so it is hard to say exactly where it grows.
Overall, the grass carp is a freshwater fish that grows among aquatic plants or in the middle and lower layers of the water. Its appearance is light yellow and cylindrical, and it mainly grows up eating various aquatic plants. Eating it regularly can help prevent cardiovascular problems, beautify the skin, resist aging and so on. Although it and the common carp are both common fish in daily life, the two differ to a certain extent in appearance, growth range and the food they eat, so the two are very easy to tell apart.