"Yes, it's a stone clam fish!"
Ah-Can nodded excitedly and raised the fish in his hand a little higher.
Although this stone clam weighs over two pounds, it seems a bit small compared to the giant grouper that was so big.
"It really is a stone clam fish, what good luck!"
This time, Feng Ye saw it clearly and couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.
Its body is light brown with some bluish tinge. There is a blue longitudinal stripe under each eye on its head, and its fins are yellow. What else could it be but a rock clam?
Stone clam fish is not the only name for this fish; it has many other names as well.
Because its fins are yellow, it is also called Yellowfin Baby; it is also called White Spot Baby because there is an inconspicuous white spot below the junction of the hard spines and soft rays of the dorsal fin; it is also called Flower Face or Red Fish.
However, these are not its official names; its scientific name is Spotted Snapper.
Although its name contains the word "sea bream," it is not a fish of the sea bream family, but belongs to the snapper family, and is the noble of the snapper family, with a high price.
This type of fish is generally nocturnal, meaning it is active during the day and active at night.
They disperse to forage at night, while during the day they mostly stay around the reefs or where mud and sand meet.
"First I caught a giant grouper, and now I've caught a rock clam. I'm really lucky today."
Ah-Can was overjoyed and carefully untied the stone clam and put it into the bucket.
"What are you talking about? It's always grouper, what's the difference?"
The other three were completely confused, and Wang Teng scratched his head, asking in bewilderment.
Ah-chan laughed and explained, "You misheard. It's not 'stone grouper,' but 'stone clam,' pronounced with the fourth tone."
“I misheard at first, but I understood when I saw the fish,” Feng Ye added. “It’s the clam in the story of ‘when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits,’ and this fish is also called yellowfin tuna.”
"So that's how it is."
All three of them suddenly realized what was going on.
The main reason is that their knowledge of sea fish is limited, which is why they keep mishearing "stone clam fish" as "stone grouper fish".
Otherwise, it would be relatively easy to distinguish between the first tone and the fourth tone.
"Judging from how excited you all are, this fish must be very expensive, right? How does it compare to that giant grouper from before?" Fang Yi asked curiously.
"It is indeed quite expensive. We'll only know how expensive it is after we sell it, but it certainly can't compare to a giant grouper."
Feng Ye shook his head and continued, "Among sea fish, there are many that are more expensive than grouper, but most of them are cheaper than grouper."
"So, this stone clam fish is quite good too."
Fang Yi said with a smile, his hands not stopping, pulling up a fish that was all black, which he didn't recognize.
So he asked, "What kind of fish is this? It's all black, it looks so unique."
"Bao Gong Fish".
Feng Ye recognized him at a glance.
The Bao Gong fish, also known as the Ban Jia Ji, is scientifically named the Flower Tail Pepperfish.
This fish is not a member of the genus *Pterocarya*, but belongs to the family Perciformes. It is distributed throughout China except for the Bohai Sea and is a medium-sized marine fish.
Strictly speaking, the Bao Gong fish is not black, but grayish-brown, with the color gradually fading from the back to the belly. It has three wide, oblique black stripes on its sides, which are covered with small black spots.
However, not all fish look the same, and their colors can vary.
The one Fang Yi caught was mostly black, and quite dark; even the black spots and diagonal stripes on its body were almost invisible.
"Bao Gong Fish? Such a strange name, is it related to Bao Gong from ancient times?" Fang Yi asked curiously.
The image of Bao Zheng, the ancient official known for his impartiality and incorruptibility, couldn't help but come to mind.
"Haha, you really have a knack for making connections." Feng Ye shook his head with a smile. "The name 'Bao Gong Fish' has nothing to do with Bao Zheng. I really don't know the specific reason why it got this name."
"However, one theory is that this fish is entirely black, just like Bao Gong's face. But the problem is that not all Bao Gong fish are black; most are a lighter grayish-brown."
As he spoke, he pulled up another fish, which turned out to be a Bao Gong fish, but its color was noticeably lighter.
Pointing to the fish that hadn't been unhooked yet, he said, "This is also a Bao Gong fish, and it's a fairly common color."
Fang Yi nodded: "Oh, I understand."
“From a distance, it looks quite dark, and it does resemble Bao Gong’s face quite a bit!” Zhang Qiang suddenly chuckled.
"How much does this fish cost? Is it expensive?" Wang Teng asked curiously.
They knew very little about what was in the sea, and their judgment was based entirely on price.
Ah-Can quickly added, "This fish isn't expensive, it seems to be a little over two yuan."
"Oh, is it that low?"
All three were greatly surprised.
"Although the price is low, the fish has tender flesh and a delicious taste, making it quite popular."
For diners, the Bao Gong fish is delicious and a very cost-effective seafood.
But for fishermen who make a living by fishing, cheap fish are not profitable; everyone hopes to sell their catch for as much as possible.
Of course, whether it's fishing or angling, any catch is a good thing, and it's always better than an empty net and hook.
Therefore, Feng Ye had nothing to be disappointed about.
After untying the fish, he hurriedly went to pull another trembling fishing line.
The group had a great time pulling the fishing line, and they caught more and more fish of various kinds.
By noon, Feng Ye was so hungry that he couldn't stand it anymore, so he took two catfish and made a pot of noodles.
When I called them to eat after the noodles were ready, I saw them all gathered around, shouting and busy.
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