Caught a nationally protected fish and wanted to release it, but the outcome was unexpected

Yesterday, angler A Du shared photos of his relative's catch from a wild river in Nanbu County. There were only a few small fish, but they looked very much like Chinese sucker fish. According to A Du, these small fish were caught this Tuesday, with a short hand rod and earthworms as bait. A Du said, my relative said he had never caught fish like this before. Some anglers said this fish might be Chinese sucker fish, which is a nationally protected fish species, while others said it was not. My relative was not sure whether it was Chinese sucker fish, and is still keeping it at home for now, planning to release it later.

Angler A Du then said, later my relative sent me the fish photos and asked whether it was Chinese sucker fish. "At first glance I thought this fish was Chinese sucker fish, but after careful observation I found that the fish's back does not bulge like that of Chinese sucker fish, so I could not be sure whether it was Chinese sucker fish."

The editor's reaction upon seeing the fish photos was the same as that of angler "A Du". Afterwards, the editor sent the fish photos to some fishing groups for anglers to identify, and most answers were Chinese sucker fish or a hybrid variety of Chinese sucker fish. However, an expert angler recognized the fish and said that it was not the so-called Chinese sucker fish or a hybrid variety of Chinese sucker fish at all, but the relatively common Chinese false gudgeon (Sarcocheilichthys sinensis).

What is the Chinese false gudgeon? It is introduced as a small fish, with the largest individual able to grow to 20 cm, often confused with Chinese sucker fish, but its back bulge is not prominent. The Chinese false gudgeon is a common fish in China's rivers and lakes, generally living in the middle and lower layers of slow-flowing water, using its lower jaw to scrape and feed on benthic invertebrates attached to gravel, attached algae and plant debris.

After learning the truth, angler "A Du" said his relative was going to put it in the pot and cook it.

The above text and images are from Chengdu Business Daily