Zhanghe Reservoir Topmouth Culter

Zhanghe Reservoir Topmouth Culter

Zhanghe Reservoir Topmouth Culter is a product with geographical indication status.

　　The farming of Topmouth Culter in Zhanghe Reservoir began in the 1960s and had reached a considerable scale by the 1970s. The initial farming area was around 80,000 mu, and after years of market selection, it has stabilized at 150,000 mu. In recent years, through the protection of water quality in Zhanghe Reservoir, the Topmouth Culter industry has gradually shifted from high-yield production to high-quality, high-efficiency, and pollution-free development. Zhanghe Reservoir Topmouth Culter belongs to the order Cypriniformes, family Cyprinidae, subfamily Cultrinae, genus Culter. It is commonly known as "big white fish," "topmouth," "white fish with an upturned mouth," or simply "Topmouth Culter." The great poet Du Fu once described it in his poetry as “white fish like sliced jade.” With a long history of cultivation, the unique ecological environment of Zhanghe Reservoir gives the Topmouth Culter its distinctive taste, tender and fresh meat, rich nutrition, and medicinal properties such as stimulating appetite, strengthening the spleen, promoting diuresis, and reducing edema. It is used to treat conditions like emaciation, swelling, and postpartum muscle cramps. Its muscle contains up to 83.66% protein and only 5.83% fat. It includes 17 common amino acids, among which 9 are essential and 8 are non-essential. The meat yield is as high as 70.74%, making it highly favored by consumers.

　　The protected geographical indication areas for "Zhanghe Reservoir Topmouth Culter" and "Zhanghe Reservoir Grass Carp" cover 27 administrative villages across the towns of Majia, Lixi, Xianju, and Zhanghe in Dongbao District and Zhanghe New Area. Gaining national geographical indication registration and protection will play a significant role in further promoting the brands of "Zhanghe Reservoir Topmouth Culter" and "Zhanghe Reservoir Grass Carp," increasing the added value of these specialty agricultural products, and building competitive local industries with market potential.

　　Geographical Scope

　　Zhanghe Reservoir Topmouth Culter is produced in Dongbao District, Jingmen City, including 27 villages across Zhanghe Town, Majia Town, Lixi Town, and Xianju Township. Specifically, Zhanghe Town includes 16 villages (Fenghuotai Village, Chenjing Village, Xiehuaqiao Village, Fujv Village, Tongle Village, Suyuan Village, Suji Village, Sanhua Village, Xinfeng Village, Yulin Village, Xiongfeng Village, Yingjie Village, Jinghe Village, Luhe Village, Xiaogang Village, Xiangshan Village). Lixi Town includes 3 villages (Jinhua Village, Exiang Village, Jianshan Village). Majia Town includes 6 villages (Bainihe Village, Mazui Village, Yifan Village, Guanmiaogang Village, Shuanghe Village, Yuanzihe Village). Xianju Township includes 2 villages (Zhenzhu Village, Xiaohe Village). The suitable farming area lies between longitude 110°49' to 112°07'53" and latitude 30°56'03" to 31°14'43". The farming region is part of the mid-altitude mountainous area in central Hubei, mainly consisting of black loam and sandy loam soils that are rich in trace elements needed for fish growth and high in organic matter with good permeability. The basic climate features a mid-latitude northern subtropical monsoon climate, with abundant rainfall, ample sunshine, a long frost-free period, and distinct seasons—wet springs, hot summers, cool autumns, and cold winters. The annual average temperature ranges from 17.3°C to 17.9°C, with annual precipitation between 1367.6 mm and 1485.6 mm. There are 126 to 147 rainy days per year, and the annual sunshine duration ranges from 1604.3 to 1909.9 hours. The frost-free period lasts 243 days. The water quality of Zhanghe Reservoir is mainly Class I and II, with a pH of 6.6, dissolved oxygen averaging 8.153 mg/L, biological oxygen demand averaging 1.95 mg/L, ammonia nitrogen averaging 0.214 mg/L, nitrite averaging 0.013 mg/L. The water quality meets the standards of China’s “Fishery Water Quality Standards” and the national second-grade drinking water standards. Zhanghe Reservoir is located in Zhanghe Town, Dongbao District, Jingmen City, Hubei Province. It is a reservoir system formed by damming the eastern branch of the Zuozhang River—a tributary of the middle Yangtze River’s northern bank—and its branches, interconnected by three open channels. In 1997, it was approved by the provincial government as a provincial-level scenic area. Zhanghe Reservoir is a renowned national 3A-level scenic spot and a national-level water conservancy scenic area. With a catchment area of 2,212 square kilometers, the reservoir covers an area of 104 square kilometers, with a water storage capacity of 2.035 billion cubic meters. It includes 36 islands, 164 peninsulas, and 24 distributaries. It is primarily an irrigation project but also serves multiple comprehensive functions. It is one of China’s well-known artificial reservoirs, stretching 202 kilometers in length with a catchment basin of 2,980 square kilometers. The reservoir basin spans Zhanghe Town, Lixi Town, Majia Town, and Xianju Township. The entire region has a total farming area of 150,000 mu, an annual aquatic product output of 23,000 tons, and a fishery output value reaching 260 million yuan.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Characteristics: The body is elongated and highly laterally compressed, with a flat dorsal surface on the head and a raised back behind the head. The back is nearly straight. The mouth is terminal, with a very thick lower jaw that is upturned, making the mouth gape almost vertical. The eyes are large and located on the lateral side of the head. The pharyngeal teeth are hooked at the tips. There is a ventral keel between the pelvic fin base. The dorsal fin has strong, smooth spines. The tail fin is forked, with the lower lobe slightly longer than the upper lobe. The body is grayish on the back, silvery-white on the sides, and the fins are gray-black. The largest individuals can weigh up to 10 kilograms, making it the largest subspecies of the Culter genus in China. 2. Quality Characteristics: The meat of the Topmouth Culter is white, delicate, and flavorful without being fishy. Its fine bones have long been considered a high-grade economic fish. The great poet Du Fu once described it in verse as “white fish like sliced jade,” highlighting its longstanding popularity. Its back is gray-black, while the sides and belly are silver-white. The fins have a gray tint, particularly along the edges of the tail fin’s upper and lower lobes. Topmouth Culter caught in spring and summer can be used medicinally. Its flesh is sweet and warm in nature, stimulating appetite, strengthening the spleen, promoting urination, and reducing edema. It is used to treat conditions such as emaciation, swelling, and postpartum muscle cramps.