The most expensive fish in Yili River is the naked-bellied sturgeon. This kind of fish belongs to ACIPENSER family and ACIPENSER genus, and its common name is "herring", which is an important aquatic wild species in Yili River basin. However, since the 1990s, the population of naked-bellied sturgeon in the Ili River Basin has sharply decreased, and it has been listed as a national second-class protected animal. Because of its delicious taste and tender meat, it is deeply loved by people.

In addition, the river bass, a unique and precious fish in Xinjiang, is also called "five black stripes" because it has five horizontal black patterns. This kind of fish is widely distributed in the cold temperate zone of Europe and northern Asia. In our country, it is only found in the Irtysh River and Ulungu River basins in Xinjiang.