Tread, Lizard (Er Ya), Lazy Fish (Materia Medica Collection), Tapeworm Fish, Gobi Fish (Compendium of Materia Medica), White Spearfish (Yao Ke Cheng's Food Materia Medica), Wide-mouthed Fish (Ben Jing Feng Yuan), White Ji (Sui Xi Ju Yin Shi Pu).
[Animal Morphology]
Long-snouted Tread
The Tread Fish has an elongated body, about 25 centimeters long, which is 5 to 6 times its height. Its snout is conical and prominently protruding forward. The mouth is located below and is crescent-shaped with thick lips. Its eyes are small. It has 4 pairs of barbels.
Both the upper and lower jaws of the Tread Fish have sharp, closely spaced teeth. The shoulder bone is prominently protruding, located above the pectoral fin, and the top of the head is somewhat exposed. The lateral line is straight. The dorsal fin has Ⅱ6-7 spines, with fine serrations on the posterior edge.
The pectoral fins are well developed and also have serrations on the inner edge. The anal fin has 14-18 rays and no spines. There is a thick fatty fin above the anterior part of the anal fin. The whole body is scaleless and exposed, with a slightly grayish color on the back and white on the belly; the fins are gray-black.
[habitat]
The Tread Fish lives in rivers and is mainly found in the bottom layers of water. It feeds on small fish, shrimp, crabs, snails, and aquatic insects. The spawning period is from May to June. It hibernates in deep waters with rocks during the winter. The Tread Fish is mainly distributed in the Yangtze River basin.
[Taste of Tread Fish]
Taste: The Tread Fish has a sweet taste and is neutral in nature.
① Materia Medica Collection: "Tastes sweet, neutral, and non-toxic."
① Ben Jing Feng Yuan: "Sweet, warm, and non-toxic."
[Opinions from Experts]
Ben Jing Feng Yuan: "The Wide-mouthed Fish can stimulate appetite, remove bladder water qi, and when eaten by patients, there is no concern of toxic effects. It is beneficial to consume."
