Cirrhinus molitorella

Mud carp
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cypriniformes
Family: Cyprinidae
Subfamily: Labeoninae
Genus: Cirrhinus
Species:
C. molitorella
Binomial name
Cirrhinus molitorella
(Valenciennes, 1844)
Synonyms
  • Leuciscus molitorella Valenciennes, 1844
  • Labeo molitorella (Valenciennes, 1844)
  • Leuciscus chevanella Valenciennes, 1844
  • Cirrhinus chinensis Günther, 1868
  • Labeo garnieri Sauvage, 1884
  • Cirrhinus melanostigma Fowler & Bean, 1922
  • Labeo melanostigma (Fowler & Bean, 1922)
  • Labeo collaris Nichols & Pope, 1927
  • Labeo pingi Wu, 1931
  • Osteochilus prosemion Fowler, 1934
  • Cirrhinus prosemion (Fowler, 1934)
  • Osteochilus spilopleura Fowler, 1935
  • Cirrhinus spilopleura (Fowler, 1935)
  • Labeo stigmapleura Fowler, 1937

Cirrhinus molitorella (mud carp or dace) is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Cirrhinus found mainly in southern China and Vietnam.

History

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The mud carp is a native Asian freshwater fish with a broad distribution from the Mekong River to the Pearl River deltas, inhabiting lakes, rivers and reservoirs.[citation needed]

Mud carp cultivation was introduced to China during the Tang dynasty (618–907 AD) as a substitute for common carp, as the common carp was forbidden to fish due to a ban.[2] Chinese aquaculture farmers adapted by raising mud carp, which were bottom feeders, in polyculture with top-feeding grass carp, while silver carp or bighead carp lived and fed in the middle depths.[3]

Habitat

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Mud carp is typically a subtropical fish.[4] The mud carp is found in the mud and Mekong River and Pearl River delta, as well as bodies of freshwater along these two rivers.[citation needed] In China's Guangdong province and Guangxi autonomous region, mud carp makes up about 30% of the freshwater fish population.[5]

The fish has been introduced to Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.[2]

Within China the fish is raised on fish farms.[citation needed]

Dispersion

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The mud carp is native to Southern China and parts of Mainland Southeast Asia. It is present in major river systems such as the Pearl River, Red River (China/Vietnam), Mekong River, and Chao Phraya River.[2]

Diet

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Mud carp is an omnivore and mainly consumes water plants or insects. Farm raised carp are fed pellets.[citation needed]

Culinary use

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Due to low cost of production, the fish is mainly consumed by the poor and locally consumed; it is mostly sold live and eaten fresh, but can be dried and salted.[2] Increased fishing has threatened the population of mud carp.[1]

The fish is sometimes canned (typically as fried dace with salted black beans) or processed as fish cakes, fish balls [6] or dumplings. They can be found for retail sale within China and throughout the Chinese diaspora.[2] Canned dace from China has periodically been found to carry traces of malachite green, a carcinogenic antimicrobial banned for use in food.[7][8][9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Nguyen, T.H.T.; Van, N.S.; Thinh, D.V. (2011). "Cirrhinus molitorella". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2011: e.T166016A6168828. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T166016A6168828.en. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e Z., Xinping (7 April 2006). "Cultured Aquatic Species Information Programme. Cirrhinus molitorella". FAO Fisheries Division [online]. Rome: FAO Fisheries Division. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  3. ^ Fagan 2017, Ch. 17.
  4. ^ FAO 1983, p. 15.
  5. ^ Rath 2011, p. 22.
  6. ^ "Carp Family". Clovegarden.
  7. ^ "Detention Without Physical Examination of Aquacultured, Shrimp, Dace, and Eel from China-Presence of New Animal Drugs and/or Unsafe Food Additives". United States FDA. 2020-09-30. Retrieved 2020-11-10.
  8. ^ "CFS finds traces of malachite green in two tinned fried dace samples" (Press release). Hong Kong. Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety. 2015-08-29. Retrieved 2020-11-11.
  9. ^ "CFS finds traces of malachite green in canned fried dace sample" (Press release). Hong Kong. Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety. 2019-09-19. Retrieved 2020-11-11.

Bibliography

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