Zhoushan Hairtail

Zhoushan Hairtail

Zhoushan Hairtail is a geographical indication protected product.

Zhoushan Hairtail is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Geographical Range

　　　Hairtail is a migratory fish species with the habit of vertical movement between day and night. During the day, they gather and inhabit the middle and lower water layers, while at night, they rise to the surface. The hairtail found along China’s coasts can be divided into two major categories: northern and southern. Northern hairtail are generally larger than their southern counterparts. They overwinter in the southern part of the Yellow Sea, migrate toward the Bohai Sea in spring, creating a spring fishing season, and then gather to return to their wintering grounds in autumn, forming an autumn fishing season. Southern hairtail migrate seasonally along the western edge of the East China Sea, moving northward in spring for spawning and southward in winter for overwintering, resulting in distinct spring and winter fishing seasons for East China Sea hairtail.

　　Distinctive Qualities

　　　　 Zhoushan hairtail have a pointed head and large mouth, tapering gradually toward the tail, resembling a thin whip. Their head length is about twice their body height, and they typically measure around one meter in length. In mid-March 1996, a fisherman in Zhejiang caught an exceptionally large specimen measuring 2.1 meters and weighing 7.8 kilograms. This “King of Hairtail” was later preserved in the biology museum of Shitang Town Primary School in Wenling City. Hairtail are widely distributed, with the highest numbers found in the western Pacific and Indian Oceans. They can be found along the coasts of all Chinese maritime provinces, but the East China Sea yields the highest production.

　　Cultural Background

　　　　 Hairtail is one of the four major economic fish species in Zhoushan City. The four major economic fish species of Zhoushan refer to the large and small yellow croaker, hairtail, and cuttlefish, all originating from the world-renowned Zhoushan Fishing Ground. Historically, these four fish were representative species of the Zhoushan Fishing Ground. In 2002, the hairtail catch in Zhoushan was approximately 170,000 tons.