Strange fish in the lake
It is no longer a strange concept to talk about invasive species, or invasive species are widely recognized today.
Even Uncle Wang of the next village knew that if something appeared in the field that he had not seen before, it would certainly not be a good thing.
Just in the summer of 2022, the hot weather has made the headlines of Sichuan's hegemonic Weibo hot search, but in Qingdao, the appearance of a strange fish has broken the unbearable heat of Sichuan.
People's eyes quickly shifted to the strange fish.
It is reported that this strange fish appeared in an artificial lake in a community on the west coast of Qingdao, and at first people only heard about it, but when everyone actually saw the real body of the strange fish, everyone exclaimed, what is this thing.
With a crocodile-like mouth and a flattened body, it looks like a hybrid of crocodiles and silver carp.
Many people are very worried that the strange fish will cause harm to children, and the long mouth is covered with sharp teeth, and if it is bitten, it may be possible to open a long slit.
Alligator eels that are caught
Just when everyone is still talking about it, the local neighborhood committee has contacted someone responsible for draining the lake and preparing to thoroughly clean up the fish that have slipped through the net.
Because according to the known situation, there should be more than one strange fish in the lake.
In fact, not only Qingdao, but also Henan, Shanghai and other places have also reported on strange fish.
As for how the strange fish was discovered, of course, it is the big brothers who like to fish. Usually, the old clamor is not the air force, this harvest is too big.
Fishing veterans may not be able to do anything else, but when it comes to what kind of fish look like, it's really a lot of treasures.
How many frogs there are in the pond 20 kilometers away from the second ring road of the city, perhaps the fishing buddies are all clear.
Fishing brother hands-on teaching
Of course, this strange fish is no exception. Related questions in the forum were quickly pointed out that the strange fish is actually an alligator eel.
Mr. Wang, an enthusiastic city near Mingyue Lake in Yangzhou, said as a fishing enthusiast that crocodile eels are the same as his name and are not good stubble.
Ferocious in nature, often more than 40 cm long, as long as there is meat in the hook, crocodile eels will never let go.
Obviously, this fish is not a native species of China, and its size and habits are more like freshwater fish in the tropics.
The size of the alligator eel is large among freshwater fish
In addition, some people said that if there is an alligator eel in the lake, if it is not treated in time, it will affect the survival of fish in the entire lake area. Is it really so powerful to drain the alligator eels that must be harvested in the reservoir?
Quirky scaly fish
The alligator eel's appearance is impressive, almost unforgettable.
As the largest freshwater fish in North America, the recorded adult alligator gar is 1.8 meters long and weighs more than 45 kilograms, which is even more exaggerated in anecdotal reports.
There's no reason why alligator eels don't look like modern fish, and their history dates back to the early Cretaceous period more than 100 million years ago.
Ancestor of the crocodile eel, Ginger Modi
Its ancestors, as ancient members of the root fish family, first appeared in the Triassic Period, but many family members have become extinct in the later evolutionary process.
Today, alligator eels are one of the few remaining root species of lepidocetes, so they are also considered living fossils of primitive fish.
Ancestral fossils of crocodile eels
According to related fossil studies, the alligator gar retains many of the morphological characteristics of its ancestors, such as the spiral-like digestive system, and the spiral-lobed digestive system can absorb nutrients more fully and effectively.
The evolutionary study of the alligator eel was first studied in 1803, described by the French naturalist Bernard LaSépedé.
After several namings, it was finally gradually divided into lepidocetes in 1820 through fossil studies.
The main distribution of the family Finches
Related fossil evidence suggests that alligator eels are one of the only 7 extant species of finches, all of which are distributed in North and Central America.
Despite the long years and high degree of evolution, the alligator eel has retained many of its ancestral forms.
In addition to the previously mentioned spiral valve digestive system, they also have fish maw lungs that can breathe in the air for short periods of time.
Alligator eels are torpedo-shaped throughout and are brown or olive in color, although in rare cases they may have a black species.
In addition, the scales of the alligator eel are also different from other fish, and their fish scales are replaced by a layer of hard enamel-like dentin.
Close-up of the mouth of the alligator eel
These scales are usually made up of multi-layered mineralized tissue and are more common in many primitive fish species.
Of course, the most conspicuous thing is its long fish mouth, which looks like a crocodile and is very lethal.
Alligator eels have two rows of teeth, which allows them to pierce easily and firmly grasp their prey.
However, as far as the predatory process of the alligator eel is concerned, its mouth is mainly used to bite and tear up prey.
Because their elongated mouths affect the structure of the feeding system, crocodile eels are unable to swallow food larger than their oral passages, much like whales.
The scales of the lepidocarins are very special
Therefore, from this point of view, the alligator eel does not pose much of a threat to humans, of course, you still have to pay attention to its sharp teeth.
Despite their good predatory abilities, the alligator eel is actually an opportunistic predator.
Rather than taking the initiative, alligator eels prefer to ambush and track their prey.
In addition to having a good tooth, the scale armor of the crocodile eel also strengthens its defenses a lot, and the adult crocodile gar has almost no natural enemies in the freshwater system.
This also determines the status of alligator eels in freshwater ecosystems, and when the timing is right, some small mammals and waterfowl will also be the food of alligator eels.
Therefore, as far as the habits of the alligator eel are concerned, its degree of danger depends entirely on its survival pressure and predation environment.
But then again, how did such a strange fish come to the country?
Crocodile eel from an exotic country
According to the data that can be verified so far, in addition to the crocodile eel, the time of the gar family entered China was about the 1990s.
During this period, the eel family was introduced to farms in Guangdong as ornamental fish, and later became the new favorite of ornamental fish due to its peculiar appearance.
Judging from past sightings, crocodile eels are not the first time they have appeared in the wild, as early as 2004 in Wenzhou, there have been relevant reports.
Judging from their distribution and the state of this period, crocodile eels appear in the wild largely because they are mixed in when purchasing fry, which is poorly managed.
In addition, there is a possibility that it will be released, and the alligator eel needs sufficient resources and a large enough rearing environment.
This is especially true of adult alligator eels, and they are a threat to other fish, but crocodile eels can also attack their kind.
So some ornamental fish breeders will abandon crocodile eels because of this, but they don't want to kill? The best thing to do, of course, is to release it.
Alligator eel in an aquarium
Judging from the entire commercialization process, crocodile eels are still quite popular abroad.
In the southern United States, alligator eel is still a good food, and many families will make alligator eel dishes.
Due to their high meat production, crocodile eels of the same weight have more meat than other smaller fish.
However, it should be noted that the eggs of the alligator eel are poisonous.
Fish eggs of alligator eels
Fish eggs contain a protein toxin that can cause serious harm to humans.
Although heating to 120°C can denature proteins and become inactive, caviar or whatever is usually eaten raw.
For alligator eels, this is a very powerful protective mechanism that prevents their eggs from being swallowed by other predators.
For example, crayfish are not resistant to this toxin, and they can easily die because of it.
Crocodile eel meat
In addition to the southern United States, alligator eels are also popular in Central America and are the main food in the region.
Fishing activities are also held in many parts of the country, and large wild alligator eels can be sold at a good price.
However, this is not feasible on the mainland, and the alligator eel, as a large freshwater fish in the Americas, poses a serious threat to the native fish population of the continent.
As we have already seen through the previous introduction, the various abilities of the alligator eel are excellent, and if left unchecked, it is easy to cause ecological disasters.
Foreign paths are not feasible at home
Draining the lake's water for alligator eels is not an extreme measure, which reflects the growing understanding of biodiversity and the threat of invasive species today.
The task of protecting native organisms is a long way off, the tragedies of the past are well known, and today we have the opportunity to make up for it, which is an answer sheet and the attitude that should be submitted to the future.