Osmanthus Fish from Qingyuan

Osmanthus Fish from Qingyuan

　　Osmanthus Fish from Qingyuan -- A renowned, high-quality, and new agricultural product of Guangdong Province

　　The Osmanthus Fish, belonging to the genus Siniperca in the family Serranidae, has a tall, laterally compressed body with a raised back. Its mouth is large, with the lower jaw distinctly longer than the upper jaw. Both jaws, as well as the vomer and palatine bones, are covered with small teeth of varying sizes. The hind edge of the preopercle is serrated, and its lower edge features four large spines; the postopercle has two large spines. The head is scaled, with fine scales; the lateral line curves upward along the dorsal arc. The dorsal fin is divided into two parts that are connected, with the front part consisting of hard spines and the rear part made up of soft fin rays. The body is yellowish-green in color, with a grayish-white belly, and the sides display irregular dark brown spots and patches; a long, narrow black stripe runs from the tip of the snout, through the eye socket, to just below the front part of the dorsal fin.