Do you think all fish are docile? Not really. In the vast ocean, there are all kinds of fish, all kinds of fish, they have different appearances and temperaments.
There is a fish, commonly known as the freshwater king, which is recognized as the most ferocious freshwater carnivorous fish in the world, and its sharp teeth can easily tear its prey to pieces.
This fish is large in size, can reach tens of centimeters or even more than a meter, has a fast growth rate, and has a long lifespan, which can reach decades.
Because pike loves cold, it is mainly found in the northeast region on the mainland, but it has recently been rumored on the Internet that pike has invaded the Yellow River, is this true? Is this a serious biological invasion?
Dogfish cute? fake!
In the hearts of our Chinese, freshwater fish has always appeared on the table as an ingredient to satisfy our taste buds.
And the pike, which is also a freshwater fish, is a more terrifying existence than the water margin fish.
Pike, also known as river dog and duck fish, is a turtle-shaped fish, and the most common species in the mainland are black spots and white spots.
Due to their Xi habits, even in winter, pike are still very active, which makes them the most widely distributed freshwater fish in the cold zone of the entire northern hemisphere.
As for the black pike and white pike on the mainland, they are mostly found in the Heilongjiang River basin and the Ortysh River basin in Xinjiang, so southerners who often eat freshwater fish can rarely see it.
The body of the pike is slender, the split body is slightly flattened, the tail peduncle is short and small, usually the body length of the adult pike can reach about 60 centimeters, and the weight is one or two kilograms.
The largest pike ever discovered, weighing 35 kilograms, is also 70 years old, but of course, this is just a legend and its authenticity is yet to be investigated.
Why is it called the name Dogfish? Because the spots on their bodies are very similar to the spots on dogs.
Although its name is Dogfish, it sounds cute, but it doesn't look cute at all!
The most striking feature of the dogfish is its long, flat, narrow mouth, which can reach almost half the length of its head. When it opens its mouth, it is on par with a crocodile's bloody mouth.
The upper teeth of the pike are connected to ligaments and are able to retract freely, allowing them to hang caught prey or uneaten food from their teeth for the next consumption, a property that other animals do not have.
Pike, like most freshwater fish, prefer to inhabit slow sections of rivers with low or moderate water temperatures, as well as coastal areas full of aquatic weeds.
Due to their hardy nature, they still have a strong desire to prey even in winter, and they eat a lot of food, and can eat the same amount of food as their own weight in a day.
Pike are Xi to hunt in the early morning or late afternoon, mainly feed on fish, eat large amounts, so they grow faster.
At the age of 3 to 4 years, pikes reach sexual maturity, and spring is their spawning season. After the spring thaw, pike swim upstream to the coastal areas of the estuary and enter the estuary and marsh areas to spawn.
After spawning, they disperse to fatten, and in winter, pike migrate to the deep waters of large rivers for wintering.
Because pike loves cold, it is mainly found in the northeast region at high latitudes on the mainland. However, in recent years, there have been reports of pike being found in the Yellow River basin.
There is a lot of speculation about this, some say that the pike swam on its own, and others say that it was the result of human release.
In either case, this could constitute a serious biological invasion event with significant impacts on the continent's ecosystems, biodiversity and economy. If so, human intervention is required in a timely manner.
So, have pikes really invaded the Yellow River? Are people's fears unfounded?
Justify the name of the pike
Dogfish love cold and have special needs for water temperature, and their bodies are compact and have thick scales, which can withstand cold climates.
Dogfish also contain a substance called "antifreeze protein", which prevents water from freezing in the body, allowing them to maintain normal physiological functions in a cold environment.
Therefore, this special need for pike makes it usually only appear in the high latitudes of the continent, that is, in the northeast.
However, it has recently been reported on the Internet that there are also traces of pike in the Yellow River Basin. The two places are thousands of miles apart, is this news true or false?
Today we are going to justify the name of the dogfish. In fact, the pike is not an invader, it is an authentic indigenous fish in the Yellow River.
For example, the Zhuanglang River, located in the southwest of Gansu Province, is a tributary of the Yellow River that originates in the Qilian Mountains.
According to Zhang Xueliang, director of the Yongdeng County Aquatic Products Workstation, there are three kinds of indigenous fish in the Zhuanglang River from the 60s to the 80s of the 20th century, one is commonly known as "pike", one is commonly known as "white drift", and the other is commonly known as "golden dart".
In the 60s and 80s of the 20th century, the county where Zhuanglang River is located has a small population, and the large-scale construction of the city has not yet been carried out, which makes the ecological environment of Zhuanglang River relatively primitive and natural.
Due to the small impact of human activities on the natural environment, the water quality and ecological environment of Zhuanglang River have been well protected. This excellent water environment provides favorable conditions for the survival and reproduction of indigenous fish.
However, in the 90s of the 20th century, the ecological environment of the Zhuanglang River has undergone great changes. With the development of industrialization and urbanization, a large amount of industrial and domestic wastewater is discharged into the Yellow River, resulting in the deterioration of water quality and serious impact on the living environment of pike.
Human mining and sand mining activities have left deep traces on the riverbed, and river dredging, sand mining, and the construction of reservoirs and hydropower stations have changed the flow of the Yellow River, affected the survival and reproduction of pike, destroyed the habitat of pike, and reduced its living space.
Not only that, because pike is one of the main economic fish in the production area, its meat is tender and thick, white in color, very delicious to eat, and high in nutrients, so human overfishing, so that the number of pike has decreased sharply.
In this case, only one species of indigenous fish in the Zhuanglang River is "pike", and the number is very small, while other fish species have gradually disappeared from the Zhuanglang River due to their inability to adapt to environmental changes and fishing pressure.
However, the decline in the number of pike does not mean that the pike has disappeared.
In order to follow the concept of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets", the mainland has paid great attention to the ecological protection of the Yellow River Basin. In order to improve and restore the ecological environment of the Yellow River Valley, the mainland has adopted a series of effective measures.
In addition to vigorously promoting afforestation activities, improving the land's ability to retain water and soil, and reducing soil erosion, it has also carried out comprehensive ecological management of the river basin, including water pollution control, improvement of the river ecological environment, and protection of wetlands, so as to restore and enhance the ecological functions of the Yellow River Basin.
In addition, a policy of banning grazing has been implemented for the mainland to prevent overgrazing from damaging the ecological environment of the grasslands.
At the same time, the mainland has also carried out breeding and release, and increased the aquatic biological resources in the Yellow River basin and improved the ecological environment of the waters by stocking fish fry and other means.
This practice has significantly improved and optimized the population structure of the Yellow River waters, protected the biodiversity of the Yellow River waters, and maintained the ecological security of the waters.
Not only that, Yongdeng County is also actively promoting environmental protection work, and the indigenous fish species of Zhuanglang River are rapidly recovering, and the population is increasing.
Of course, in addition to artificial protection, the rate of reproduction of pike is also a problem, so that the population only increases.
According to the research data, pike have a clear migration pattern, and generally go to the coastal areas of the upstream estuary to spawn when the river thaws in the spring.
Juveniles grow very quickly, reaching sexual maturity in just 3 to 4 km, and in another month or two they enter the reproductive period.
However, the fish itself is more ferocious than the male fish, and because of the increased appetite after reproduction, they will eat the eggs they lay.
Therefore, even though the breeding cycle of dogfish is short and the reproductive ability is strong, there has been no flooding.
Pike has played a significant role in enriching the species and optimizing the structure of the mainland fish farming, so remember to try this ferocious carnivorous fish when you have the chance.
However, it is important to remember that pike eggs are poisonous and should not be eaten if they are brought into the firing process to prevent food poisoning.
Dogfish is like the "Godzilla" of the movie industry, is it really so ferocious that it has no natural enemies?
"Mad Dog" in the water
Dogfish is a cold-blooded and highly effective predator that feeds mainly on other fish and sometimes frogs.
Their diets even include small mammals such as voles and mallards near the water, as well as birds.
The reason why pike is called pike is because when hunting, pike like to treat their prey with a bite and show no mercy to their prey. This behavior makes them feel like a "mad dog" in the water.
Dogfish have a ferocious and cruel temperament, and they can swim at speeds of more than 8 kilometers per hour in the water, which gives them a great advantage when hunting.
Dogfish have a unique way of hunting, relying on their excellent visual system and vibrating points on the scales of the lateral line to find their prey.
Once it spots its prey, the pike will immediately lock on to the target and quickly attack. They are agile and decisive, often succeeding before their prey can react.
As long as the prey enters the attack range of the dogfish, the dogfish will bite the prey with a sudden bite, and kill the prey instantly with a strong bite force, and then quickly devour it, simple and rough, without dragging mud and water.
In addition to being a natural predator, dogfish are also extremely intelligent and strategic, they are extremely cunning and scheming lurkers.
If a dogfish encounters another fish or animal that moves equally fast and is not fully sure that they will catch their prey, they will take a unique approach to confusing their prey.
Dogfish use their tail fins to stir up the underwater sediment back and forth, muddying the surrounding waters. As a result, the prey will slow down due to obstructed line of sight and may even run in all directions due to panic.
At this time, the pike only needs to take the opportunity to hide in the murky water and wait patiently for the prey to approach.
This strategy allows the pike to better hide itself, while also reducing the vigilance of its prey.
When the prey is within enough distance for the pike to catch, the pike will see the moment and immediately attack. They move with precision and swiftness, often catching their prey off guard.
This ambush predation not only shows the wisdom of the pike, but also reflects their patience and determination in the process of predation, thus ensuring their own survival and reproduction.
In the mainland market, the number of pike is relatively scarce, so the market price is relatively high and continues to remain high.
Considering the needs of the market, as well as factors such as increasing the number of freshwater famous and high-quality varieties and helping farmers to increase their income, there is great potential and prospect for actively researching and developing pike farming.
Although the ferocious nature and predatory Xi of dogfish make them considered an ecological threat in some areas, we need to understand more fully the role of dogfish in the ecosystem and their impact on the ecology of the waters.
In fact, pike, as predators, play an important role in maintaining the balance of the aquatic ecosystem. They can control the populations of other fish and avoid overbreeding of certain fish species, which can affect the stability of the entire water ecosystem.
Therefore, in order to protect the ecological environment of the waters, we need to carry out scientific and reasonable protection and management of pike, which not only makes full use of their active role in the ecosystem, but also prevents them from causing excessive damage to other species.