What are the differences between herring and grass carp?

The main external difference between herring and grass carp is body color. The herring's back and fins are noticeably bluish-black, with a pointed head and short intestines, only slightly longer than its own body length. Grass carp body color is lighter than herring, is bluish yellow, pectoral and ventral fins slightly grayish yellow, the head is blunt, the intestines are longer, about twice the body length.

Morphological characteristics of grass carp

Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) is the only species of the genus Ctenopharyngodon idellus of the subfamily Cyprinidae, also known as white carp, grass root fish, thick fish. The body is slightly cylindrical, the head is slightly flat and the tail is flattened. The mouth is curved, there is no need. The maxilla is slightly longer than the lower jaw. The body is light tea yellow, the back is bluish gray, the abdomen is gray, the chest and ventral fins are slightly grayish yellow, the other fins are light gray, and the abdomen is anguless. The head is flat and the tail is flat. The hypopharyngeal teeth are two-line, lateral flattened, comb-shaped, with transverse grooves on the side of the teeth. The dorsal fin and anal fin have no hard thorns, and the dorsal fin is opposite to the ventral fin.

The appearance characteristics of herring

The herring is long and slightly cylindrical, with a flat, round abdomen and no ventral edges. The tail is slightly flat on the side. The kiss is blunt, but it is more pointed than grass carp. The posterior end of the maxilla extends below the anterior margin. The interocular septum is about 3.5 times of the ocular diameter. Gill rake 15-21, short, papillae. One line of pharyngeal teeth, 4 ⑸ / 5 ⑷, left and right are generally asymmetrical, the tooth surface is broad, molar-shaped. The scales are large and round. The scale of the lateral line is 39-45. The body is bluish black, the back is deeper; the fins are grayish black, especially the even fins. There are 7-9 dorsal fin strips and 8-10 anal fin strips, with a body length of 145 cm.

Main differences between grass carp and herring

1. Color distinction: grass carp has yellowish body color and clear scales; herring body and fins are grayish black.

2. Head distinction: grass carp has a circular mouth and obvious scales, while herring scales are not obvious and its head is pointed.

3. Body size: normally, herring is bigger than grass carp in a growth cycle.

4. Price distinction: generally speaking, herring is more expensive than grass carp.

5, eating habits: grass carp generally live in the middle of the water, mainly eat the stems and leaves of aquatic plants; herring live in the lower layer of the water, mainly eat snails, clams and other underwater animals.