Susong Whitebait

Susong Whitebait

　　Whitebait is a type of freshwater fish, typically about seven to ten centimeters in length. Its body is slightly round, delicate, transparent, and has a silvery sheen—hence the name. Those from the Yangtze River estuary are slightly longer and commonly called “miàn zhàng yú” (literally “surface-length fish”) or “miàn tiáo yú” (literally “noodle fish”). Taihu whitebait has a long history; according to the *Taihu Notes*, during the Spring and Autumn Period of the Wu and Yue states, Taihu Lake was already known for abundant whitebait production. There are four varieties of Taihu whitebait: Taihu short-snout whitebait, few-toothed short-snout whitebait, large whitebait, and Lei’s whitebait. The highest yields come from large whitebait and Taihu short-snout whitebait.