Speaking of the delicacy that was not rare in the 80s, but now we can't afford to eat it, the post-7 and 80s born in the village must be deeply impressed - in the past, those stream fish with high water quality requirements, delicate meat and delicious taste, but our childhood memories. Now that I think about it, they have long since faded out of our sight.
1. Water bee fish
When I was a child, I went down to the river to fish, and I was most afraid of touching the water bee fish and yellow spicy dice. Especially the water bee fish, when stung by it, the pain that pierces the heart will not stop for a few days or a week. This little thing has a smooth and scaleless body, a small serrated mouth and poisonous thorns on its back, and its growth rate is very slow, and it can't grow a few centimeters in a year. But even so, it doesn't compromise on its deliciousness. Nowadays, due to water pollution and overfishing, the value of water bee fish has soared to 500 pounds in some places.
2. Stone creeper fish
It has a flat head, a large head and a small tail, a mouth always facing down, and four pairs of small whiskers on its body, lying in the cracks of stones all year round, and is an omnivorous bottom-dwelling fish. The largest is only 17 centimeters, but the meat is delicious and has medicinal value, and it can be regarded as a rare fish species. Now it's 600 pounds on the market.
3. Embroidery
This thing, that is the most caught in the river when I was a child. It looks peculiar, its body is covered with messy markings, and there are a bunch of small thorns on its back. It's not easy to eat it now.
4. Stick fish
It is commonly known as the tiger fish, and it is also the kind of small point that is round and does not slip away, and the longest is about ten centimeters. Hiding in the stone crevices of the stream every day is a nightmare for anglers - they like to go into the nest not to mention, and it is especially difficult to take the bait, endlessly drifting, annoying to death. Although I hate it, I hate it, but I don't want to mention how fresh it is, and the protein content is an absolute little steel cannon.
5. Ayu
In contrast, Ayu is much more famous. Because the balsam cavity on the body can exude a unique fragrance, it also has the reputation of "the king of freshwater fish". Unfortunately, the damming of the dam and environmental pollution have caused the number of sweetfish to plummet, and it is difficult to find its traces in many places.
6. Salmon
It is commonly known as plum fish, flower fish, and five-color fish. During the Song Dynasty, it was a tribute and was deeply loved by emperors and generals. The meat is tender and delicious, and there are no intermuscular spines, so it's no wonder it's favored. Now it has long been a national second-class protected animal, and it is really not easy to eat it.
7.斑鱯
Everyone calls it the sesame swordfish. The reason why it has this nickname is because it is shaped like a sharp sword, and secondly, because it tastes like a faint sesame fragrance. Sesame swordfish is a large fish, weighing up to 15 kilograms. But because it tastes so delicious and nutritious, it can't escape the fate of being overfished. Now, it has also become a national second-class protected animal, commonly known as the "prison bottom" fish.
8. Willow whitebait
When it comes to willow root fish, many people may be a little unfamiliar. This thing has a slender body, a black back and a white belly, and a faint black stripe in the middle. It is generally only a dozen centimeters long, and lives in the cold water of mountain streams and streams in the north. Don't look small, but the economic value is not low. Because the meat is tender, there are no intermuscular spines, and it also contains a lot of protein and unsaturated fatty acids, the price has been high.
9. Broadfin squid
Let's talk about the elf in the mountain stream, Brother Xi, who is a broadfin squid. The male Brother Xi, when he reaches the breeding period, he is simply a male eighteen changes, and his body is colorful, so beautiful that he doesn't want it. Although Brother Xi is not big, he is extremely picky and only likes clear and turbulent streams. Nowadays, all kinds of electric fish, nets, and poisonous fish have made its population drop again and again.
10. Glossy lipfish
The last one, the glossy-lip fish, is also called the brook grouper. Like the small fish in front of them, they also love to stay in the crystal clear mountain streams and gravel covered with sand. It is very flat, with 6 black vertical stripes on both sides, and the male's belly is also tinged with a faint layer of rose. It is generally only about ten centimeters long, and the heaviest is no more than 150 grams. It tastes extremely delicious, but beware of its eggs, which can cause vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, and shock in severe cases. Now, it has become a favorite of fishing enthusiasts and is one of the best fish in the stream.
epilogue
These small fish in the stream were once the beautiful memories of the childhood of rural children born in the 70s and 80s. Now, they have become "Internet celebrities" on the market, often hundreds or thousands of pounds, and some have even disappeared into the mountains. There is no other reason, water pollution, indiscriminate fishing, and ecological destruction, these disasters have long pushed them to the brink of extinction.
But then again, in this era of rarity, the rarer the thing, the more sought after. These small fish in the stream have one thing in common, that is, they have extremely high requirements for water quality, which can be said to be synonymous with pure nature and pollution-free. So no matter how high the price is, there are still people who flock to it. As everyone knows, those small fish that used to be annoying have now become luxuries, behind which are ecological scars and natural wails.
As a post-80s generation, seeing the once beautiful stream, now it is full of sewage and garbage, and the bitterness in my heart is indescribable. I hope that the elves of these streams can continue to swim in a pure land; I also hope that we can read awe and temperance from the nature that accompanies them day and night, and give them a clean habitat. This is not only a memory of childhood memories, but also a care for nature.