The pangolin is a species of carp in the family Carpidae of the order Sparidae, commonly known as the earth pangolin, which prefers to inhabit areas with warmer water temperatures.

The pangolin will begin to die in water below 7 degrees Celsius. It is mainly found in the Pearl River system, Hainan Island, Taiwan, the Min, Lancang and Yuan rivers. The pangolin feeds mainly on plants, often using the horny edges of its jaws to scrape the tops of rocks and other underwater objects to extract living algae, but also diatoms and green algae, as well as the detritus of higher plants and underwater humus. It also prefers pig dung, cow dung and some commercial feeds such as peanut bran and rice bran. Pangolins are sexually mature at the age of 3; mature parents in the river come in batches to certain sections of the river during flooding, rutting and chasing.