Bamboo shell fish: often mistaken for indigenous fish, it is actually an "alien". What has become after the invasion of China?

When it comes to alien invasive species, people gnash their teeth, especially exotic aquatic animals, such as scavengers, alligators, Brazilian turtles, tilapia and crayfish. These alien species live in water, have no natural enemies, breed quickly, are difficult to clean up thoroughly, and destroy the ecological environment.

Well-known exotic species, such as crayfish and tilapia, are in short supply because of their delicious meat, so they can only meet the market demand through artificial breeding. There is a kind of fish, commonly known as bamboo shell fish, which is very common in southern China and is often mistaken for local fish, but it is actually an exotic species with delicious meat and similar taste to grouper. It is also very popular in the market, expensive and often unavailable.

The scientific name of bamboo shell fish is pointed beak fish, which belongs to goby family. It is native to Southeast Asia and South America. This kind of fish has a strange shape, a cylindrical head, a flat tail and a pattern all over it. It looks like a bamboo shell, so it is named bamboo shell fish. This kind of fish is very similar to China native sand tiger fish, head fish and other fish species. If it is rarely seen or not carefully identified, it is easy to be confused and mistaken for native fish.

This kind of fish is very popular abroad, but in the eyes of China people, it is delicious. Although it is an invasive species, invasion has become a joke and almost eaten as a protected animal. It is difficult to see wild bamboo shell fish in the local area, and it is necessary to rely on farming to get full, which is related to its growth habits. Bamboo shell fish is a kind of tropical fish, which can only be cultured in southern China. At the same time, it is an omnivorous fish, mainly eat small fish shrimp, and also eats some aquatic insects or larvae.

Because of its delicious meat, rich nutrition, easy breeding, high market value and large profit space, it is also concerned by farmers and loved by fishermen. The non-proliferation of bamboo shellfish in China is mainly related to its living habits and domestic water environment.

The living environment of bamboo shellfish in the wild is bad, because it needs high temperature, and it can only survive in the southern water system. When the temperature is as low as 1 1℃, the bamboo shell fish will die, so it is difficult to breed in the wild on a large scale. In domestic waters, it has many natural enemies, such as snakehead, mandarin fish, eel, mandarin fish and so on. Bamboo shell fish likes to wait for rabbits to prey. When encountering large predatory fish, it is difficult for its young fish to grow up. So it can't flood at all.

Due to its own habits and ecological environment in China, bamboo shell fish has been mistaken for native fish for decades since it was introduced into China, and it will be eaten in the wild as a protected animal without flooding. Only breeding can meet the market demand.