Rhinoceros in Four Treasures of the Study of Taihu Lake
Rhinoceros, also known as needlefish, mainly grows in the shallow waters of Dongshan Mountain in Taihu Lake not far from Huzhou. It is exquisite and petite, generally about 12 cm long, with a cylindrical body and needle-like horns on its mouth, hence the name hornfish. It usually lays eggs in February and March and fishes in August and September. Most local fishermen dry it in the sun and then cook it in a pot for a while (that is, roast it), so it is called "putting fish" in the dialect. Hornfish meat is delicious, mainly fried, and the stuffing is good. Nanxun restaurant has shredded pepper and salt horn fish, pickled horn fish, sweet water horn fish, fried horn fish, horn fish wonton, horn fish balls and so on.