In wild waters, there are many fish that look similar. They may all belong to the same category and be close relatives. Yellow catfish is a very common fish in the market, golden in color, without scales, and is easily recognizable. But there is also a "oxtail" in the river, but it is often mistaken for a yellow catfish.
Oxtails are also golden yellow and smooth, with no scales, especially those with smaller bodies, which have a very similar appearance to yellow catfish. However, a oxtail that weighs more than 1 pound can see the difference because its tail is particularly long, longer than the tail of a yellow catfish.
In fact, yellow catfish and oxtails do have a close relationship. They belong to the Siluridae family, so it's not surprising that they look similar. Oxtail is a popular folk name. In addition to this name, Jianghuang and Stone Slab also use it. Oxtail fish are common in the north of China and abundant in the rivers along the Heilongjiang River. In addition, they are also distributed in the Yellow River, Yangtze River, Taihu Lake and other waters.
Oxtails that grow in different places have a slightly different appearance of color, some have spots on the surface of the body, and some have a golden yellow color on the whole body. In addition to the difference in color, there is almost no difference in other aspects.
Usually, yellow catfish are rarely very large. Whether wild or farmed, they are not large. Oxtails can grow up to 1 meter long and weigh up to 6 pounds. Of course, it can only grow so big in the wild. Usually, captive-reared oxtails can leave the pond at about 1 pound.
The oxtail is a fish that fishermen like very much. Fishing can be done from the spring. In summer, oxtail is a very active season. If you're lucky, you can grab the bucket quickly. But now, there are very few large oxtails. Most of them are oxtails of a few or two weights. The environment is not as good as before.
The taste of the oxtail is quite good, especially the stew is delicious and does not lose the yellow catfish on the market. There are many people in China who raise oxtails, and the price of farmed products cannot be compared with wild products, but it is also possible. The price of oxtails under 1 pound can reach 15 yuan per kilogram, while the price of large cattle over 1 pound can reach 15 yuan per kilogram. Tail fish are expensive and can be sold for 20-30 yuan per catty.
Wild oxtails are more expensive, and some places can even sell for 100 yuan per catty, but people are not encouraged to eat wild animals now. Although aquatic products are not listed here, it is safer to choose farmed products.
Breeding of oxtails is relatively easy. It has few pests and diseases and can be cultured in ponds. At the same time, its growth rate is still very fast. Can fish for more than a year. The longer the breeding time, the larger the size. The bigger it is, the more expensive it is. In the market, the acceptance of oxtails is relatively high, especially the residents of the northern region prefer this fish, while the people in the southern region prefer yellow catfish. Overall, the breeding prospects for oxtails are good and are now being reared in large quantities