Common name: Siniperca chuatsi, Seasonal Flower Fish, Gui Flower Fish, Gui Fish, and Quail Fish.

English name: Chinese perch

Scientific name: Siniperca chuatsi

Grouped in the order Perciformes, family Serranidae, subfamily Siniperca, genus Siniperca.Siniperca chuatsi (Basilewsky).

The body is taller and laterally compressed, with a bulging dorsum. The mouth is large, with the lower jaw distinctly longer than the upper. The upper and lower jaws, plow bones, and mouth cover bones are covered with small teeth of varying sizes; the posterior margin of the anterior gill cover bone is serrated, with four large spines on the lower margin; the posterior margin of the posterior gill cover bone has two large spines. Head scaly, scales minute; lateral line curved upward along dorsal arc. Dorsal fin in two parts, connected with each other, anterior part with hard spines, posterior part with soft fin rays. Body yellowish-green, abdomen grayish-white, with irregular dark brown spots and patches on the side of the body; a narrow black band from the end of the muzzle across the eye socket to the anterior and inferior part of the dorsal fin.

Chiniperca chuatsi generally inhabits still or slow-flowing water bodies, especially in lakes with lush aquatic grasses, where it is most abundant. They are not very active in winter, often overwintering in deep water, and generally do not stop feeding altogether. When the weather turns warm in the spring, it swims to the shallow water along the coast to feed; at this time, both male and female fish have the habit of lying on their sides in the lake bottom depression during the day, and at night they move and feed in the water plants. Mainly feed on other fish, January-February feeding is poor, June-July is the most vigorous, the intensity of feeding slightly decreased during the reproductive period. Siniperca chuatsi usually grows to the age of 2, in the northeast must be until the age of 3 to reach sexual maturity, the parent fish in May-July clusters at night in the gentle running water environment to spawn. June-July is the peak period of spawning, the amount of pregnant eggs for 3-20 million.

There are two species of Siniperca chuatsi, which are very similar in appearance, but the difference lies in the following: the gill rakers of S. chuatsi (English name: Mandarinfish , Aukua) are 7, the eyes are smaller, the head length is 5.3-8.1 times of the diameter of the eye, the maxilla reaches to the underside of the eye after the posterior edge of the eye, the lateral line of scales is 110-142, and there are scales on the lower part of the cheeks, and the pylorus pendant is 198-440. 440. On the other hand, S. kneri (English name: Bigeye mandarinfish) has gill rakers of 6, larger eyes, head length 4.7-5.1 times the diameter of the eyes, maxillae reaching only to the underside before the posterior margin of the eyes, lateral line scales of 85-98, buccal area not scaled, and 74-98 pyloric pituitary. Siniperca chuatsi grows fast, large individuals, commonly 2-2.5 kilograms, the largest individual weight up to 50 kilograms; big-eyed Siniperca chuatsi grows slowly, the individual is smaller, the largest individual can grow to weigh 2 kilograms.

Chiniperca chuatsi is widely distributed in the rivers and lakes of the eastern plains of China. The natural yield is quite high. The meat is white, tender and flavorful, without small spines, and rich in protein. Each 100 grams of edible portion contains 15.5-19.3 grams of protein, 0.4-3.5 grams of fat, 78-109 kilocalories of calories, 79-206 milligrams of calcium, 107-143 milligrams of phosphorus, 0.7-5.6 milligrams of iron, 0.01 milligrams of thiamine, 0.10 milligrams of riboflavin, 1.9 milligrams of niacin. Siniperca chuatsi has been classified as one of the most valuable fish since ancient times, and Siniperca chuatsi was found among the funerary objects in the Mawangdui Han Tomb unearthed in 1972! Siniperca chuatsi has many clusters of pyloric droops, commonly known as cinnamon fish, and its flavor is fragrant, fresh and crispy, so it can be said that "if there is Siniperca chuatsi on the table, even the paws of bears can be given up". It is worth noting that the 12 dorsal fin spines, 3 anal fin spines and 2 ventral fin spines of Mandarin fish have poisonous glands, which cause severe swelling and pain when stabbed, resulting in fever and chills, which is one of the most severe stabbing pains in freshwater venomous fish. Special care should be taken when catching and dissecting Mandarin fish.

Chinese chuatsi fish meat is sweet, flat, non-toxic, with the effect of tonifying the deficiency, benefit the spleen and stomach. Its tail can be used to treat soft boils in children, and its gall can be used to treat fish bones in the throat.