The statements in this article are based on reliable sources and are repeated at the end of this article
Fishing, as a sport that many people love, often brings a different kind of excitement to many anglers, after all, sometimes fishing is like opening a blind box, never knowing what the next fish may be.
However, after some fish are caught, it is really exciting, but once some fish appear, it may make people dare not move, such as this "fish with many sesame dots on its body", once it is caught, it will be "invited to tea".
And this fish also has its own title "King of Freshwater Fish - Sesame Sword", which was once known for its delicious meat, but now it has become a "forbidden fish", why is this? [Listen to the song]
01 Freshwater Fish King
Sesame sword, scientific name is spotted turtle, also known as sesame fish, fish, etc., this fish is characterized by a wide head, a flat back, and large and small black spots on the body, and the fins are very sharp, which is also the origin of the name "sesame sword".
The main activity of this fish is located in the Qiantang River, Pearl River, Hainan Island and other water systems on the mainland, and generally likes to inhabit the deep water level of the cave, feeding on various aquatic insects, carp juveniles and other organisms.
Because the meat of the sesame sword is delicious, the ancients called it "such as clotted fat, crisp and plump", known as one of the "four famous fish" of the Pearl River, and won the title of freshwater fish king, it was once a famous precious economic fish.
In the past, there were many restaurants that took this kind of fish as a special dish, and the price could even be as high as hundreds of yuan a catty, and the larger fish could reach thousands of yuan a piece, which was quite luxurious, so the sesame sword was named "freshwater fish king" and it was indeed worthy of its name.
However, at the same time, you can't just be attracted by its flesh, because in addition to the title of "King of Fish", the Sesame Sword is also called the "King of Poison" because of the very fierce toxicity hidden in its body.
In the dorsal fin spines, pectoral fin spines and outer membrane of the sesame sword, there are poisonous glandular tissues hidden, and once stabbed by the fins of the sesame sword, the toxins will enter the body.
The specific manifestation is that the wound is burned, and then it will feel severe pain, and with the spread of the toxin in the human body, it will cause a wide range of edema of the poisoned person's limbs, and even cause shock.
However, in today's society, even if it is poisonous, it can be handled in a suitable way, just like a puffer fish, so it does not prevent many people from trying it out.
But now we will find that sesame swords are basically rarely around people, and even many people who specialize in raising fish have not bred this delicious and expensive "freshwater fish king", what is going on?
02 State protection
In fact, although the value of sesame swords is very high, it is difficult to breed because its reproduction is very special, and it must be in the natural flow of water to spawn, and it is difficult to simulate such an environment artificially.
But sesame swords are so attractive that some people look at wild varieties and catch them because they can't be farmed artificially.
Driven by profits, people use various methods to catch sesame swords on a large scale, and various tools such as power grids and ground cages are all arranged, and even cubs cannot escape their hunting.
As a result, the "freshwater fish kings" in these rivers were gradually forced to leave the environment in which they lived, and became exquisite and expensive ingredients, and became props for many people to fill their wallets.
Under the large number of fishing, the number of sesame swords has also been declining, and over time, people can rarely see these fish, but there are always people who will try their best to kill them for profit.
It wasn't until February 2021 that the sesame sword was officially listed as a national second-class protected animal, and this uncontrolled fishing behavior was stopped, after all, according to the law, if you continue to fish, it is illegal.
However, at this time, there are still many people who are deceived by interests, for example, in 2023, two men will go to Baise, Tianyang and other places in Guangxi many times to buy wild sesame swords and sell them at a price of 120-180 yuan per catty.
In the end, the two were sentenced to 4 months of detention and various fines for violating the relevant laws, which is why many anglers are afraid when they see this fish.
After all, first of all, this fish is poisonous, and if you are scratched, you may have to go to the hospital; The second thing is that this thing is still a national second-class protected animal, it can hurt itself, but it doesn't dare to hurt it, and if it is not good, it will have to be invited to tea.
Therefore, today's "freshwater fish king" has become the object of fear of many "fishermen".
However, as we all know, the culture of pursuing food has always been buried deep in the blood of the people of the mainland, since the wild sesame sword has become so scarce, and people are very keen on this delicacy, is there really no way? The answer is not either.
03 Artificial breeding
In 2022, a team in Guizhou successfully artificially bred sesame swords, after three years of research.
Luodian, Guizhou, where this team is located, has the only turtle turtle imitation ecological conservation farm in the country, which has attracted many people because of the existence of sesame swords.
Here, the team also conducted a comprehensive study of the turtle turtle, including breeding conditions, biological characteristics and other aspects, and successfully hatched two batches of fish fry, making a huge breakthrough in the artificial breeding technology of sesame sword.
And now they are continuing to research and explore larger-scale artificial breeding techniques, as well as suitable breeding processes and equipment, so that in this way, sesame swords can be better reproduced.
It can be said that the technology of artificial breeding of turtle turtle is a great breakthrough, but we still need to pay great attention to the protection of sesame swords, after all, the main purpose of artificial breeding is to better expand the population.
And the gradual disappearance of the sesame sword is also very telling, even the fish with poison and once a large population cannot resist large-scale hunting.
What's more, with the pollution problems caused by industry today, the living environment of these endangered animals has been gradually destroyed, so protecting the environment and caring for nature is not just talking.
If some people are really "lucky" to catch such a fish, it is better not to touch it, and it is better to release it reasonably in situ, after all, whether it is due to its toxicity or the protection of the law, it is better to be careful.
Sources of information:
Luodian County People's Procuratorate 2023-03-02: Two men were sentenced for endangering wild "sesame swords".
Tianyan News 2022-08-01 : Take care of the "sesame sword"! The Guizhou team artificially bred the "freshwater fish king" turtle turtle for three years