Plotosus lineatus, also known as line eel, is a species of fish in the genus Eel in the family Eelidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific Region, including East Africa, the Red Sea, Samoa, South Korea, Japan, the South China Sea, Australia, Rhodes Island and other waters. The hard spines of the dorsal fin and pectoral fin of the eel are jagged and poisonous glands, so they are extremely painful when they are stabbed, which is dangerous.
Morphological characteristics
Eel catfish can reach a length of up to 20 cm. The fish has an elongated body, a slightly flattened head, a rounded abdomen, a flattened posterior half, and a tail tip like an eel's tail. The head is medium and large, the snout is slightly pointed, and there are four pairs of whiskers near the mouth. There are no scales on the surface of the body. The first dorsal fin is short with strong hard spines in front; the second dorsal fin starts behind the base of the pectoral fin and is continuously connected with the fin and caudal fin, all of which are soft stripes; the upper edge of the pectoral fin has several sharp hard spines directly behind the head. The first root of the dorsal fin and pectoral fin is a hard spine with poisonous glands, and the venom secreted by its stinger contains eel nerve poison and eel eel hemolytic poison, once stabbed, it will cause tens of hours of throbbing, spasms and paralysis and other symptoms, and even cause tetanus. The dorsal side of the body is brownish grey , with two yellow longitudinal bands in the center of the body side , and the outer edge of the odd fin is black.
Eels, dangerous little creatures
Characteristics of life
Eel catfish often live in reefs, estuarine waters, open coasts, in the face of foreign enemies, often form a ball, called "catfish ball", in order to protect. The hard spines of the dorsal fin and pectoral fin of the eel are jagged and poisonous glands, so they are extremely painful when they are stabbed, making them dangerous fish. Nocturnal habits, feeding on small fish and shrimp.
Food, toxic?
The hard spines of the eel dorsal fin and pectoral fin are jagged and poisonous glands, so when stabbed, it will be extremely painful, and the venom secreted by the stinger contains eel nerve poison and eel eel hemolytic poison, once stabbed, it will cause more than 48 hours of throbbing, spasms and paralysis, and even cause tetanus. If you are accidentally stabbed by an eel, it is recommended to send it to the hospital for treatment.
Line-striped eels are relatively rare in the market, and the average person will not buy it easily. In addition to the hard fins and poisonous spines, this fish has a very fishy smell, and improper cooking is often difficult for ordinary people to accept. However, the insider thinks it is delicious, and after cutting off the fins, cutting it into sections and frying it in deep-fried red, or stir-frying with various spices, or making a samaosha tea pot, or stewing angelica soup in hot oil. After tasting it, you will feel that the eel is actually close to the taste of eel.