An introduction to the characteristics and advantages of the high-quality fish species ayu

The ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis) belongs to the class Osteichthyes, order Salmoniformes, family Plecoglossidae. It is an important small, valuable economic fish in China. Its flesh is tender and its body color is beautiful, and along its dorsal ridge runs a cavity filled with aromatic fat that gives off an enticing delicate fragrance, hence its name. After being dried over fire, the ayu turns golden yellow, excellent in color, aroma and taste, with a unique flavor, and is known as one of the "Five Treasures of Yandang."

The ayu is a sub-cold-water fish, preferring to inhabit medium-sized sea-connected rivers with clear water, swift currents, relatively low water temperatures and gravelly riverbeds. It is characterized by a short food chain, fast growth, strong adaptability to temperature and salinity, a high survival rate and low farming costs. In China it is mainly distributed in the Longxi River in Fujian, the North and South Yandang Mountain water systems in Zhejiang, the Baisha River in Qingdao, the Shi River in Qinhuangdao, and the Yalu River, Dayang River, Yingna River and Biliu River in Liaoning. In addition, it is also found in the coastal waters of Taiwan, China and in Japan. In recent years, due to damage from human factors, ayu resources have mostly declined, with very low yields, and large-scale farming has not yet taken off. However, demand for ayu is very strong in large and medium-sized cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, as well as in Taiwan, China, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asian countries, with supply falling short of demand, so the ayu is a new species with great farming potential.

At present, the main farming methods for ayu are eel-farm farming, reservoir cage farming, pond farming, river gill-net farming and enhancement culture in large and medium-sized reservoirs. In particular, developing ayu farming in shut-down eel farms can make full use of the original facilities such as eel farm ponds, water systems, heating equipment, bait-mixing machinery and aeration equipment, with no need to invest in fixed facilities, and will achieve good social and economic benefits, killing two birds with one stone.

Ningde Haimu Aquatic Technology Service Co., Ltd. of Fujian Province is committed to the development of the ayu industry. Under the guidance of Mr. Cao Keju, professor at the College of Fisheries of Huazhong Agricultural University and an authoritative expert on ayu, the company's professional and technical personnel, after two years of bold exploration and tackling of key problems, have achieved good results in large-scale ayu fry rearing technology, farming technology, deep processing of ayu, exploration of farming models, and the development of related feeds and medicines.