Many people may not be able to distinguish between yellow fish and yellow croaker in their daily lives. In fact, yellow fish is also called yellow croaker, but there are big yellow croaker and small yellow croaker. Therefore, when buying, we also need to understand through some of its differences.

Characteristics and Distribution Range of the Yellow Fish

It has scales and a shape similar to that of a sturgeon, with a grayish white color. Its back has three rows of bony plates, and there are whiskers above the nose. Its mouth is close to the chin, and the tail is forked. It grows in deep water.

Distributed in the shallow seas of the north Pacific, along the coastal areas of the East China Sea, Yellow Sea, Bohai Sea, and Liaoning Province of China. It is mainly found in the East China Sea, and the big yellow croaker produced in the Bohai Sea is particularly abundant.

Characteristics and Distribution Range of the Big Yellow Croaker

The big yellow croaker has an elongated body, is laterally flattened, and the body length is about 40-50 cm. It is golden yellow. The tailstock is slender and long. The scales are smaller, and there are 8-9 rows of scales between the starting point of the dorsal fin and the lateral line. There are 25-27 vertebrae. It usually lives in deeper sea areas, migrates to the coastal areas for spawning from April to June, disperses along the coast for feeding after spawning, and feeds on fish and shrimps. In autumn and winter, it migrates to deeper sea areas again. The swim bladder can produce sound, and fishermen often use it to estimate the size of the fish schools. The big yellow croaker is distributed in the southern Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and South China Sea, usually living in deeper sea areas, migrates to the coastal areas for spawning and laying eggs from April to June, disperses along the coast for feeding after spawning, and migrates to deeper sea areas again in autumn and winter.

Characteristics and Distribution Range of the Small Yellow Croaker

The body shape resembles that of a big yellow croaker, but the head is longer, the eyes are smaller, the scales are larger, the tailstock is short and wide, and there are 5-6 rows of scales between the starting point of the dorsal fin and the lateral line, with a golden yellow color. The number of vertebrae is 28-30. The otoliths are large. The body length is about 20 centimeters or more, and the maximum body length can reach 40 cm. The back is grayish brown, and the abdomen is golden yellow. It is a nearshore demersal schooling migratory fish, living in sea areas with muddy or muddy-sandy substrates. The spawning ground is in the coastal sea area with a water depth of 10-25 meters, and the overwintering ground is generally 40-80 meters. There is a significant vertical movement of fish schools, rising at dusk, descending at dawn, and living at the bottom or near the bottom during the day. In winter, it overwinters in the deep sea, migrates to the coast in spring, spawns from March to June, mainly feeds on copepods, small shrimps, and small fish, and returns to the deep sea at the end of autumn. The swim bladder can produce sound. The small yellow croaker is distributed in the Yellow Sea, Bohai Sea, East China Sea, and west coast of Korea.