Text: Panda Science Popularization Officer
Editor|Panda Science Popularization Officer
Our fish were the best.
In the eyes of Indians, catfish has an extremely important position, a kind of catfish in India is very special, they can grow particularly strong, and the appearance is very peculiar. This fish is very active in the Ganges River in India, but it is strange that Indians do not eat catfish, but still want to sell it to others. What is it that makes Indians not eat catfish, and what kind of fish is this catfish in India?
Pangasius is flooded, how is pangasius different in India?
There is a catfish in India that is huge, and this catfish is not what it seems, this catfish is called tank catfish, and they are also aggressive, which makes the inhabitants of the Ganges River valley fearful.
However, compared to the aggressive nature of Indian catfish, the belief of Indians in them is unquestionable. Because in the eyes of Indians, the Ganges is regarded as an incarnation of the goddess Gangi and has a sacred status.
The belief that the Ganges is the mother figure of the Indian people, giving them spiritual and material nourishment, and the belief that catfish, as part of the Ganges, is considered a sacred creature has led to the reverence of catfish despite the threat they pose.
This fish runs rampant in the waters of the Yokogawa, and the catfish can live and reproduce without any worries, which allows them to gradually develop a huge size and strong aggression to become the overlord in the Ganges.
This is because the Indian people would cremate the body and sprinkle the ashes into the Ganges, and they were believed to purify the soul of the deceased and give them eternal liberation. Although it is a natural behavior for catfish to feed on carcasses and carrion in a social pattern, the influx and hunger of large numbers of catfish drive them to extend their attack to swim or hippie-smiling swimming crowds.
Catfish play a significant role in the growth and growth of catfish, and in India, many families do not have toilets, so they will discharge their excrement into the Ganges. Although this behavior poses serious problems in terms of hygiene and the environment, some of the actions of the Indians pollute the Ganges to a greater extent.
The manure in the Ganges River is an important source of nutrients for catfish, and in this foul condition, fish obtain abundant nutrients by eating pollutants, which also provides important conditions for catfish to grow. The presence of the Indian catfish in the Ganges is paradoxical, painful, and the powerful aggression manifests the threat of these creatures, which is mainly caused by the special cultural and religious beliefs of the Indians, which is the reason for the catfish flood in India.
Unraveling the Ganges water in India, the crisis behind holiness
The Ganges River in India has a very important position in the eyes of Indians, it is regarded as a sacred symbol, but these Ganges water is real, the Ganges water brings together human remains, animal remains, factory wastewater, domestic wastewater, human and animal feces and other pollutants, resulting in extreme deterioration of water quality.
From upstream to downstream, 90% of the Ganges' tributaries and channels have been turned into landfills, becoming a symbol of death and germ growth. Every year, a large number of people die from bacterial infections due to drinking Ganges water.
India has also improved the water quality of the Ganges, including the construction of sewage treatment plants and the expropriation of farmland for riparian biosphere restoration, but these efforts have had little success due to entrenched religious beliefs and bad Xi.
The Ganges water is not just a source of water and plays a special role in the hearts of Indians, who are regarded by Indians as a sacred symbol to bathe in the Ganges at least once in their lifetime to wash away the sins of a lifetime. This religious belief has led to a large number of Indians traveling to the Ganges to participate in the rites of baptism, making the Ganges one of the most crowded rivers in the world.
Although some Indians know that the water in the Ganges is polluted, they still choose to baptize and drink water in it out of their faith.
Unexpectedly, the Ganges water in India was actually taken out and sold by people, and this water was sold very quickly, and the sales of bottled water in the Ganges River were once very hot, and people rushed to buy a bottle of such water. In their eyes, as long as they can buy a bottle of this water, they are quite lucky.
However, the water quality of the Ganges River was once clear enough to meet the basic requirements of international standards, but with the development of Indian society and the increase in population, the water quality of the Ganges River has deteriorated. Today, the Ganges River is littered with corpses, household garbage and sewage can be found everywhere, and the clarity of the past is gone. Both upstream and downstream, the Ganges water is 800 times more polluted than international standards.
The number of bacteria in the water of the Ganges is too large to count, especially the increase in pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli, which is caused by the lifestyle of residents in the upper reaches of the river and the improper treatment of wastewater, and in the middle and lower reaches of the Ganges, the pollution situation is even worse. These areas are densely populated, and domestic and industrial sewage are discharged directly into the Ganges, making the Ganges a huge biochemical tank.
Because of this, drinking Ganges water is at a high risk of bacterial infection, and the number of bacteria in the Ganges River far exceeds that of normal water sources, making it a base camp for germs. Without adequate cleaning and disinfection measures, religious ceremonies and the tradition of drinking Ganges water are deadly.
How is Indian fish different from Chinese fish?
India itself does not eat pangasius but still wants to sell these fish to us, but India has not succeeded, mainly because Indian catfish is not very attractive in appearance, while Chinese catfish is more beautiful in appearance and is loved by consumers. The scales of the Chinese pangasius are colorful and sparkle with a metallic sheen that makes people fall in love at first sight, while the Indian catfish has a relatively monotonous appearance and does not have that strong visual appeal.
Also in terms of packaging and brand marketing, China's pangasius industry is more professional and mature than India, China's pangasius farming enterprises pay great attention to details in the outer packaging design, using high-quality materials and exquisite patterns, so that the product is more valuable. The packaging of Indian catfish is often simple and plain, with no outstanding features, which is difficult to attract the attention of consumers.
The price of pangasius in India is also an issue, as the cost of catfish rises due to the poor growing environment in which catfish in India requires greater inputs to guarantee its health and quality. China's fish farming industry is more mature in terms of technology and management, which can effectively control costs and increase production, and the price of Chinese pangasius is more competitive in the market, and consumers are more willing to buy Chinese native pangasius.
India is a multicultural and religious country, and different regions and religious groups have different taboos and preferences for food. For example, some religious groups in northern India are vegetarian and prohibit eating fish, while southern India is very fond of fish. This multicultural dietary disparity has also led to divisions and restrictions on pangasius consumption within India, which in turn has hindered the development of pangasius exports in India.
Although Indian catfish has tenacious vitality, there is a huge gap between Chinese catfish in terms of dietary Xi, appearance appeal, packaging and marketing, price competitiveness and cultural differences. These gaps have led to the export dilemma of Indian pangasius in the Chinese market, coupled with the maturity and development of China's aquaculture industry, it is difficult for Indian pangasius to occupy a place in the Chinese market.
Xi of the life of the tank duckbill
There is a species of catfish in India called the tank duckbill, which is a spectacular freshwater fish belonging to the catfish family, and they are huge in size, reaching up to 2.5 meters in length and weighing up to 150 kilograms. This fish is known for its peculiar duckbill shape, with a wide mouth that extends forward and 4 long whiskers on the upper and lower jaws, giving it a unique shape when swimming in the water.
They generally inhabit the main river channels and often lie down near the water banks to feed, the tank duckbill is a carnivorous catfish, and its main diet includes small fish, small shrimp, loaches and aquatic insects. This fish is known for its ferocious predation style, which will quickly rush towards its prey and swallow it in one gulp.
Unlike most fish, tank duckbills have a flexible and flat body that is adapted to swim in fast-flowing rivers, and they have a strong swimming ability to quickly dash and catch their prey. In particular, the whiskers on the side of the fish's beaks extend outward into a semi-arc, a unique structure that increases their tactile sensation and makes them more sensitive when hunting in the water.
Tank platypus is so unique in appearance that they are also considered by some farmers to be a fish for people to watch, and it is because of their peculiar appearance and various morphological characteristics that they are highly sought after in the aquarium market.